If you had to be an animal for a week, which one would you be and why?
Over the years, from my teens into my sixties, dolphins have been among the most welcome companions of my sailing life. They have appeared unexpectedly in Seaford Bay, off Land’s End, crossing the English Channel, through the Straits of Gibraltar and along the Spanish coast, where I took the photograph above. I have seen them again far out in the Atlantic, from Gran Canaria to Cape Verde and on the passage to Barbados.
What strikes me every time is that they greet you with a smile and a sense of fun and curiosity. Whether that is our human interpretation or not hardly matters; they bring a sense of joy, curiosity and goodwill wherever they appear. We all know people who greet the world in the same way, and I’d enjoy being one of them for a week.
There is something else too. Dolphins have a remarkable ability to make people stop, watch and reconnect with the natural world. If, for a week, I could be a dolphin and encourage a few people to appreciate the sea, wildlife and the wider environment a little more, then that would make the experience worthwhile.
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