
Sea Witch’s Familiars: Sea Birds, Dolphins, and More
The sea witch‘s sacred place is the sea. She casts her magic and connects with the divine by the sea. So, naturally, the sea witch’s familiars are animals and spirits by the sea. Learn the sea witch’s familiars and their sacred water energies here.
The Sea Witch’s Familiars List
The sea witch’s familiars covered in this article:
- Sea Birds
- Dolphins
- Whales
- Crabs
- Turtles
- Manatees
- Rays
- Fish
- Sharks
- Seals
Sea Birds
To name a few of the sea witch’s familiars in the form of sea birds: sea gull, heron, pelican, osprey, puffin, sand piper, egret, cormorant, penguin, albatross, tern, skimmer, and boobie (tee-hee she said boobie). As a sea witch, you have a plethora of sea bird familiars waiting to gift you their knowledge. The sea bird familiar has a special kind of magic no other bird shares – the ability to cross spiritual thresholds. Like the line between land and sea. Sea birds are associated with two elements – water and air. They act as guides through the liminal and messengers for the sea gods.

Dolphins
One of my favorite sea witch’s familiars is the dolphin. When we go out on the water and we see dolphins, the whole family is ecstatic. Dolphins are not only incredibly intelligent, they are fast and strong. The mothers nurse their young and raise them for a long time. They have been known to save human lives in wreckages and near-drownings. You are a lucky witch if a dolphin graces your presence at sea. Call on the dolphin familiar to aid in dream work, motherhood, and circumstances of survival.

Whales
Like dolphins, whales are loved by humans. They are intelligent, mysterious, and have some sort of magic special to their species alone. Whales have much to teach us, particularly sea witches. Some even believe whales are from a different planet and are here to help us expand consciousness. If you’re ready to dive deep into the water element and therefore your emotions, call on the whale familiar.

Crabs
Crabs can be one of the sea witch’s familiars? Absolutely! Crabs are also land/sea creatures so they are able to bridge the gap between the mundane and spiritual like sea birds. Crabs are scavengers, which grosses some people out. HOWEVER, crabs clean up the sea…they turn death into life by consuming the old in order to create energy and then reproduce. From destruction comes new life. Call on the crab for protection, gray areas of magick (think walking sideways), and for renewal.

Sea Turtles
Another sea animal the sea witch loves is the sea turtle. When you see these guys swimming in the water, you can’t help but smile and saw AWWWW. The sea turtle as the sea witch’s familiar teaches us resilience, patience, and adaptation. They too move between land and sea but spend most of their time in the water. Call on the sea turtle when you need to get through a tough time, and when casting spells related to the water element.

Manatees
Manatees are majestic, gentle giants of the sea. They have the rare ability to go from salt water to fresh water and back again. In the old days, they were mistaken for mermaids. The manatee as one of the sea witch’s familiars teaches gentleness and to do magic at your own pace. The manatee also teaches us to simplify things that become too complicated or confusing. Summon the manatee familiar when traveling through the rocky waters of life, to increase intuition, and also for adaptation in a new job or new place.

Rays
Sting rays and manta rays are interesting as a sea witch’s familiars. Have you seen Disney’s Moana? Moana’s grandmother’s spirit animal was the manta ray and she becomes the ray after death. Rays are mystical and teach the sea witch energy flow, grace, and how to glide through tough emotional situations. The manta ray knows how to stay clean and sweep off the debris, just as the sea witch should sweep off the negativity. Not to mention, they have an affinity for making love under the full moon. What sea witch doesn’t love a good full-moon-romp?

Fish
Why would the sea witch’s familiars include fish? What’s one of the most abundant species in the sea? Fish! There’s so many different kinds, and each kind has something to teach or bring to the sea witch’s magical practice. Did you know some fish change genders depending on the needs of their school or habitat? Fish may be “small-minded” but they are instinctual. Call on the fish familiar for abundance, fertility, and to embrace your instincts.

Sharks
I’ve been scared of sharks my whole life. They are my shadow animal. But as a sea witch, I understand and appreciate their ferocity, focus, and strength. They offer sea witches an energy of protection and will drive off your enemies in a heartbeat. Shark, as scary as he seems, will aid in your neediest of magical workings.

Seals
Seals and sea witches go together like peanut butter and jelly. These cute sea creatures have a long history for being magical creatures. Look up the word “selkie” and you’ll find a myriad of stories of seals turning into beautiful women or men. They were thought to be shapeshifters and therefore can be called upon to teach shifting to a sea witch. Just be careful when working with elementals like selkies, while they are powerful they can also be unpredictable.

What Do Sea Witch’s Familiars Do?
I believe a sea witch’s familiars are different from the modern idea of a spirit animal or guide. The sea witch’s familiars teach him or her lessons, but they also aid in magical workings and enhance spiritual practice. For instance, a sea witch calls upon the shark familiar to “sniff out” and drive off his or her enemies in a banishing or protection spell. The sea witch calls upon the seal familiar to teach shapeshifting in alignment with the sea. Sea witches soar with the sea gulls and ospreys to see into the future or into a current situation (divination). And so on and so forth.

13 Comments
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Amoni
February 17, 2021 at 3:31 amI have always had a special connection to marine life, specifically whales. I unfortunately live in a landlocked state but visit the ocean quite often. Whenever I visit the sea I almost always have some form of whale sighting wether I am on a whale watching cruise or just sitting on the beach. I can’t remember a time I have visited a coast and not seen a whale.
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Aly
January 24, 2020 at 2:19 amI didn’t realize for ages that Orcas, a dolphin family whale, is my familiar, starting at a very, very young age I began to obsess over the creatures of the ocean and in my teen years became very open to magickal practice. Thank you for the explanation on the familiar’s meaning.
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January 24, 2020 at 3:36 pmThey are beautiful, powerful creatures!
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Janae
May 24, 2019 at 5:53 pmI hope this does not sound like a dumb question, but… how do you know if you are a sea witch?
Teresa
May 15, 2019 at 5:41 amWithout even knowing sharks have been my Familiar since childhood. I did my2 different school project on them, have been watching shark week since it came to be and donated to shark conservation multiple times
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Edmund Meurer
March 9, 2019 at 5:13 pmGreat read!
Lisa Forester
January 29, 2019 at 9:16 pmI have always been attracted to seals. When I saw the movie”The Secret Of Roan Innish”. I knew why. I never thought of myself as a sea witch but I think that is spot on!! Thanks
admin
January 30, 2019 at 3:30 pmSeals are magical creatures!