The Dolphin Dream Society
A Croatian nonprofit association focused on Adriatic environmental protection, sustainability, maritime heritage, and responsible tourism.
Last updated August 26, 2026
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Overview
The Dolphin Dream Society is a Croatian nongovernmental, nonprofit association established in Zagreb in May 2001. Its work has focused on improving environmental awareness, protecting the natural environment of the Adriatic Sea, coast, and islands, safeguarding maritime and cultural heritage, and encouraging forms of sustainable development suited to the region. Although it is described in some reference material as a dissolved organization, the available historical account also describes continuing activity after its principal project cycle; its current legal and operational status therefore requires verification. The association was created by enthusiasts inspired by the novel "Dolphin Dream" by Adrian Predrag Kezele. Kezele was subsequently identified as the association's honorary president. The organization developed a public-facing identity around the relationship between the Adriatic's marine environment, coastal communities, traditional seafaring, and responsible stewardship of natural and cultural resources. Its best-documented body of work was the "Support the Adriatic Colours" program, conducted from 2003 through 2011. The program comprised three connected initiatives: The Blue, The Green, and The White. The Blue concentrated on marine and shoreline protection. It organized 15 shoreline and seabed cleanups, during which approximately 30 tonnes of waste were removed from the Adriatic Sea. The cleanup work was paired with a national public campaign encouraging protection of the Adriatic and with ALTEA, an educational study intended for Croatian secondary-school students. The Green addressed ecological restoration and public participation through the national donation campaign "Plant a Life!". The campaign sought to strengthen social responsibility, raise funds for the restoration of Adriatic pine and cypress forests, and establish olive plantings at selected coastal and island locations. In cooperation with partners, the initiative reported planting approximately 20,000 pine and cypress seedlings and 7,000 olive seedlings at sites extending from Istria to Dubrovnik. The White connected environmental protection with Croatia's traditional maritime culture. Its activities promoted traditional shipbuilding, lateen-sail navigation, and the preservation of the Adriatic shoreline and islands as integrated natural and cultural heritage. In 2006, the society launched the national "Loving means conserving!" campaign, which presented conservation as a practical expression of care for the region's biodiversity, landscapes, and maritime traditions. A major outcome of The White was the construction and launch in spring 2011, in Betina on Murter Island, of a replica of an eighteenth-century bracera. The vessel, named "Our Lady of the Sea" (Croatian: "Gospa od mora"), was equipped with a white lateen sail and became both a heritage object and an educational platform. Following The White, the society developed the Maritima Art program, which combined maritime heritage with responsible tourism. The program was designed around a traditional boat and educational activities intended to preserve knowledge and skills associated with lateen-sail navigation. The society's work is best understood not as a conventional commercial brand but as the public identity of a civic and environmental initiative. Its programs combined direct conservation activity, donations, education, cultural preservation, and experiential tourism. Financial, executive, and current-operations information is not established in the supplied sources.
History
The Dolphin Dream Society was established in Zagreb in May 2001 as a Croatian nongovernmental and nonprofit association. It emerged from a group of enthusiasts influenced by Adrian Predrag Kezele's novel "Dolphin Dream"; Kezele later served as the association's honorary president. From the outset, the society combined three related concerns: environmental awareness and protection, the preservation of Adriatic maritime heritage, and sustainable development of the coast and islands. The organization's principal documented program was Support the Adriatic Colours, active from 2003 to 2011. It was divided into The Blue, The Green, and The White, with each project addressing a different aspect of Adriatic stewardship. The Blue focused on direct marine conservation and environmental education. Fifteen shore and seabed cleanup operations removed roughly 30 tonnes of waste from the Adriatic Sea. These actions were supported by the national campaign "Support the color of the Adriatic - Preserve the Blue" and by ALTEA, an educational study aimed at Croatian high-school students. The Green used fundraising and public participation to support ecological restoration. Its "Plant a Life!" donation campaign promoted social responsibility while financing the planting of native or locally characteristic trees and the restoration of coastal landscapes. Working with partners at locations from Istria to Dubrovnik, the society reported planting about 20,000 pine and cypress seedlings and 7,000 olive trees along the Adriatic coast and islands. The White extended the conservation mission into traditional shipbuilding and maritime culture. The society presented the shoreline and islands as a connected natural and cultural heritage requiring protection, and in 2006 it conducted the national "Loving means conserving!" campaign. The campaign emphasized that preserving biodiversity, traditional skills, and coastal identity were mutually reinforcing goals rather than separate activities. In spring 2011, in Betina on Murter Island, the society launched a replica of an eighteenth-century bracera named Our Lady of the Sea, or Gospa od mora. The vessel had a white lateen sail and served as a tangible expression of the association's maritime-heritage work. After The White, the society operated or developed the Maritima Art program, which connected traditional sailing and maritime education with responsible tourism. Its stated purpose was to preserve lateen-sail skills while creating an educational and culturally grounded visitor experience. The available sources do not establish a complete chronology of the association's legal status, leadership, funding, or activities after the documented program period. One supplied reference describes it as dissolved, while the historical account uses present-tense language for the Maritima Art program. The organization's current status should therefore be checked against Croatian nonprofit records or an archived official website.
- 2011
Our Lady of the Sea launched
[1]A replica eighteenth-century bracera with a white lateen sail was launched in Betina on Murter Island.
- 2006
Loving means conserving! campaign
[1]The society conducted a national campaign advocating protection of the Adriatic's natural and cultural heritage.
- 2003
Support the Adriatic Colours begins
[1]The society began its principal documented program, comprising The Blue, The Green, and The White projects.
- 2001
Association founded in Zagreb
[1]The Dolphin Dream Society was established in Zagreb in May as a Croatian nonprofit nongovernmental association concerned with Adriatic environmental protection, maritime heritage, and sustainable development.
Products and positioning
A civic environmental and maritime-heritage organization linking Adriatic conservation with education, community action, traditional seafaring, and responsible tourism.
Marine conservation and environmental education · 2003
The Blue
The Blue was the marine-protection component of Support the Adriatic Colours. It organized 15 shoreline and seabed cleanup actions that reportedly removed approximately 30 tonnes of waste from the Adriatic Sea. The project also supported a national awareness campaign and the ALTEA educational study for Croatian secondary-school students.
Ecological restoration and donations · 2003
The Green
The Green was built around the Plant a Life! national donation campaign. It sought to increase public responsibility for the Adriatic landscape and fund the restoration of pine and cypress forests, together with olive planting at selected coastal and island locations. The reported results included approximately 20,000 pine and cypress seedlings and 7,000 olive trees planted with partner organizations.
Maritime heritage and traditional shipbuilding · 2003
The White
The White connected environmental awareness with the preservation of Croatian traditional shipbuilding and sailing. It promoted the Adriatic coast and islands as a unified natural and cultural heritage and produced the replica bracera Our Lady of the Sea, launched in 2011 in Betina.
Responsible tourism and maritime education · 2011
Maritima Art
Maritima Art followed the society's maritime-heritage work by combining a traditional boat, educational programming, and responsible tourism. The program was intended to preserve practical knowledge of lateen-sail navigation while offering visitors an environmentally and culturally grounded experience.
Traditional sailing vessel · 2011
Our Lady of the Sea
Our Lady of the Sea, or Gospa od mora, is a replica of an eighteenth-century bracera with a white lateen sail. The vessel was launched by the society in Betina on Murter Island in spring 2011 and served as a platform for maritime-heritage education and responsible tourism.
Marketing campaigns
- 2006Loving means conserving!
Croatia
A national public campaign calling for protection of the Adriatic region's biodiversity, coastline, islands, and cultural heritage.
Outcome. The campaign reinforced the society's approach of treating natural and maritime heritage as a connected conservation responsibility.
- 2003Support the Adriatic Colours
Croatia · Adriatic coast and islands
A multi-year program organized around The Blue, The Green, and The White, addressing marine cleanup, ecological restoration, environmental education, traditional shipbuilding, and maritime heritage.
Outcome. Documented outcomes included 15 marine and shoreline cleanups, removal of approximately 30 tonnes of waste, large-scale tree planting, and the launch of a traditional-boat replica.
- 2003Plant a Life!
Croatia · Adriatic coast and islands
A national donation campaign under The Green that supported forest restoration and olive planting at selected sites from Istria to Dubrovnik.
Outcome. The campaign reported planting approximately 20,000 pine and cypress seedlings and 7,000 olive seedlings with partners.
Recent events
- 2011
The Dolphin Dream Society launches the bracera Our Lady of the Sea[1]
Product launch · Other
The society launched a replica of an eighteenth-century bracera in Betina on Murter Island as part of its maritime-heritage and environmental program.
- 2011
The Support the Adriatic Colours program concludes its documented project period[1]
Campaign · Other
The society's 2003–2011 program combined marine cleanups, environmental education, ecological restoration, and maritime-heritage activities across Croatia.
Sources2 sources
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