Since 1993, the Dolphin Day has been a traditional celebration in the village of Veli Lošinj, and since 1999 this unique event is a central element of he Blue World Institute’s educational programme. Originally, it took place on first Saturday in August but in 2011 we moved the celebration to the 1st of July. Together with the Mali Lošinj Tourist Board – the event’s main sponsor – we thought the new date offers less conflicts with parallel events on the island.
Kids painting for the Dolphin Day
The Dolphin Day attracts many visitors to Veli Lošinj who come to learn about the activities in the Adriatic Dolphin Project and marine conservation. Public interest increases every year and now we have more than 2000 participants and the event receives growing media coverage in many newspapers, magazines, radio and TV shows in Croatia. Many say that coming to Dolphin Day is one of the main reasons for their families to plan holidays on Lošinj. Creating an atmosphere of enjoyment, the programme varies from year to year, but usually includes lectures, exhibitions, workshops, games and sports competitions; we continuously expand the programme with new educational, cultural, sports and fun activities, which would actively involve more participants. One of the most recognizable traditions of Dolphin Day is an extensive exhibition of children’s drawings in Veli Lošinj harbour inspired by the sea and dolphins. Every year we receive a huge number of drawings from all over Croatia and abroad, so the competition for the best drawing of the year award is very serious. We encourage all little artists out there to send us their drawings for the next Dolphin Day exhibition.
In recent years, many other organisations along the Adriatic coast and Mediterranean started organising Dolphin Day following our concept of public engagement through outdoor activities during the summer months. As “our” Dolphin day is organised as an activity aimed at raising public awareness based on the knowledge of local resident community of bottlenose dolphins, it does not have fixed international day. Rather, we encourage everyone to organise similar events at the time that best fits local communities. Should you need help or just a word of encouragement, contact us and we will gladly help you!
