Howdy, folks! TheSlorg here with another Pony Spotlight. Last week we featured a pony suggested within the comments, and we're doing the same this week. There have been several good suggestions, all of which will be featured, but this week goes to Sea Swirl!
It might be easy to mistake this week's choice with last week's if you look at the two without seeing their cutie marks. Both share a similar design and color scheme, but when it comes to personality these are two very different ponies!
But what are Sea Swirl's personality quirks? Head on below the break to find out!
Aliases: Dolphin Dream, Sea Foam
Cutie Mark: Swirling Dolphins
Appearances: 74 Episodes
First Appearance: Friendship is Magic part 1
Speaking Roles: 1
Random Fact: Sea Swirl has appeared in more episodes than Lyra Heartstrings, but has not yet featured in any movies.
Beginnings
Ah, Sea Swirl. If you've been regularly reading these Spotlight posts, you might already have a good idea as to what her beginnings were. That's right, she was originally just a design used to look good in the background! In fact, Sea Swirl 'clones' have been spotted just as often as other 'clones,' with as many as six or more appearing in certain scenes. Because of this, it could be argued that Sea Swirl was just as responsible for the early rumors of changelings as Lyra.
Sea Swirl's first appearance might not be much of a shock, either. As with many others, she's been in the show since the very beginning, standing in the background of many of the group shots in Friendship is Magic part 1. What is shocking, based on what little fan art exists of her, is that she has appeared in more episodes than Lyra Heartstrings. That places her firmly under the label of 'under-appreciated.' This pony needs more love!
Unlike some of the other ponies we've featured, Sea Swirl has, for the most part, remained firmly in the background. Despite this, there are a few things we can learn about her if we look closely.
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| This should totally happen in-show. |
Growth
Sea Swirl showed up in more than half of the episodes in season one, always in the background. She was there when Nightmare Moon returned, she watched Gilda's antics in Griffon the Brush Off, was a victim of Applejack's 'baked bads' in Applebuck Season, and was part of Amethyst Star's animal team in Winter Wrap Up. There isn't much we can learn from any of that, however.
It was in Dragonshy that we see the first hint of her friendship with another pony, Sassaflash. Never noticed it before? Throughout the series, Sea Swirl and Sassaflash have been seen together almost as often as Lyra and Sweetie Drops, and more than ten times as often as Octavia and DJ Pon3. This shows that even with ponies who seem destined to remain in the background, show staff have seen to it that there is at least something to work with, personality-wise.
Another odd little quirk of Sea Swirl's is that she seems to be able to stand on clouds despite not being a pegasus, as she was seen doing this multiple times in The Cutie Mark Chronicles. Fine, this was an animation error that was later corrected when Twilight visits the past in the season five finale, The Cutie Re-mark part 1. So, was Sea Swirl removed from those scenes? Nope. They gave her wings. Larson strikes again!
It wouldn't be until season two's The Cutie Pox that we would see another part of Sea Swirl's personality show up: her love of bowling! In this episode she is at the bowling alley when the Cutie Mark Crusaders attempt to get their cutie marks in bowling. She comments on a young colt receiving a bowling cutie mark, much to Apple Bloom's dismay. She speaks again later in the episode, shouting "Cutie Pox!?" along with a small crowd of other ponies.
The Cutie Pox wouldn't be Sea Swirl's only visit to a bowling alley, as she is there in season five's Slice of Life when Doctor Hooves arrives. Love of bowling confirmed.
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| Beach pony. This is actually canon. |
Current Status
Beyond Sea Swirl's friendship with Sassaflash and her love of bowling, there hasn't been much to go on within the show. She assists Fluttershy with the pet center fundraiser in Filli Vanilli. In Leap of Faith, she is shown with a possible neck injury, and is one of the first in line to purchase Flim and Flam's miracle curative tonic. She lets out a particularly horrified scream when the Tantabus arrives within Ponyville's shared dream in Do Princesses Dream of Magic Sheep. Again, none of this really correlates with any of her personality traits.
Sea Swirl's merchandise, however, points out repeatedly that she loves to visit the beach and sea. This makes perfect sense, considering her name and cutie mark. Her card in the MLP: CCG states that she takes regular train rides to the ocean just to go swimming. Now we just need a beach-themed episode where she can really shine!
List of Sea Swirl Fanfics
Sinking Sea Drops
The Sea Swirl Anthology
Voyage
Siren Song
Bonus Video!
