LET WILD BE WILD

We all are a part of the same fragile planet.  From the largest beasts to the tiniest creatures, we all live under the same moon, the same stars and the same sun.  I believe that most of us have good intentions to take care of Mother Earth.   Yet often, without realizing, we do little things that send a damaging ripple through our ecosystem. 

In THE SUMMER GIRLS, I wrote Carson’s experience with the dolphin Delphine to be representative of what’s happening out there.  She is any of us, out on the water’s edge, in the boats, captivated by this alluring species.  It always starts innocently.  A desire to communicate leads one to toss a bit of food from the side of the boat or the edge of the dock. We hope to draw the dolphin closer, to have an interaction.  Maybe we toss (ack!) some human food.  What harm can this one tidbit do? 

Sadly, it can cause a lot of harm.  Most people don’t realize that with each tidbit tossed we are encouraging dolphins to beg.  Now multiply that one tidbit by the hundreds, even thousands, of people who think the same thing.  We are creating a generation of beggars.  Dolphins, like most animals, will take the handout, despite its poor nutritional value. Free food!  To complicate matters, the begging interferes with mother dolphins teaching their young to forage and hunt.  The sad result is physical injuries from boat strikes, getting caught in fishing lines and lures, emaciation, and death.

We all think we know dolphins from what we’ve seen portrayed on television or in the movies.  But remember, Flipper was a trained dolphin in a human care facility.  These animals are accustomed to human interaction and it is monitored to protect dolphin health.  Our Atlantic bottlenose dolphins in the oceans and estuarine waters are wild, powerful creatures.  They are magnificent, intelligent animals with strong community bonds, unique abilities to communicate and have communal hunting strategies.  Mammals like us, females nurse and care for their young for years with the help of “aunties,” the other females in their pod.  Males form pair bonds that last a lifetime. 

Dolphins are curious about us, too.  If you’re out on a boat, paddleboarding, kayaking...they’ll likely come close or ride the wake of your boat. You don’t need to be invasive. Let me share a secret with you that all naturalists know.  The best way to get animals to PLAY with you is to remain still and quiet.  Let them come to you.  Enjoy the moment without feeling the need to touch or feed.  They’ll dash off if you do and you will have lost the opportunity to experience that rare, nonverbal communication that occurs when mutual respect, awe and wonder is shared.

At the end of the Lowcountry Summer Trilogy, I hope that my readers will feel connected to not only my characters, but to the dolphins as well.  I hope you will have enjoyed the three novels and on reflection realize that you’ve learned a lot, too.  If you find yourself wondering how you can help the dolphin--and I hope you do, just remember this one simple thing:  LET WILD BE WILD.  It’s what’s best for them and best for us.

It's Called Communication

   

    “I’m sorry I haven’t called in so long.”

    “I can’t believe how long it’s been, but I follow you on Facebook.”

    “I meant to write but…”

I confess.  I’m guilty of saying those statements more times than I care to admit.  Aren’t we all?  The busyness of everyday life makes it so easy to lose touch with those special people in our lives.  My typical excuse is work.  Sincere, but...  Be it writing, researching, deadlines, travel, revisions...the list goes on.  And I’m sure yours does too. 

The issue of communication is one many families are facing today and I wanted to explore it in my latest novel, THE SUMMER GIRLS.  In preparation for writing this book, I extensively researched the Atlantic bottlenose dolphin, animals noted for their phenomenal ability to communicate and connect.

A dolphin’s elaborate communication system has yet to be fully understood.  Dolphins employ an intricate system of clicks, whistles, squeaks, and the powerful echolocation (sonar).  Recent research revealed how a mother dolphins gives her calf a " signature whistle" at birth.  This is equivalent to our names, an important discovery that points to their high intelligence and social sophistication.  Communication begins at the onset of life in a dolphin family!

In THE SUMMER GIRLS I created three characters--Carson, Eudora and Harper, half sisters who spent their childhood summers together with their Mamaw at Sea Breeze on Sullivan’s Island.  But like so many of us,  the bonds of sisterhood crumbled as they became adults and moved to distant parts of the country. At the story's onset, they are virtual strangers. 

Carson is a loner; she can't maintain a relationship, not even with a condo.   Dora is divorcing her husband and struggling to communicate with her nine-year-old son, Nate, who has Asperger’s Syndrome. And Harper connects to the internet but not face to face. Rather, she prefers to watch the world from a safe distance.  Each has a major communication flaw that the reader can relate to.  And their reunion doesn’t go as Mamaw planned.  Heated conversations and inflammatory remarks quickly dig up old family lies and disheartening truths.  

What can Mamaw do to help them?  What can any of us do to encourage communication in our families in the modern age?  What can the dolphins teach us?

Watch this short clip to hear more from me about the major theme of communication in THE SUMMER GIRLS.