Of Relationality and Water: Stories of Kinship, Care and Belonging Part 2

In this episode, we continue to explore relationality when it comes to water, and learn more from three women who have made water, and bodies of water, their life’s work. The politics of kinship can be complicated, but how would we approach our bodies of water if they were kin? Through a range of questions, we attempt to see, through their eyes, how water has shaped them, and how their ties with water have evolved.
Our guests are Sejal Mehta, Divya Panicker, and Tasneem Khan. In Part 1, we were introduced to their work as writers, scientists, educators and adventurers, and learned about how their projects and interventions make an impact. In Part 2, we go deeper into what fascinates them about water- the flow of the tides; properties like solvency; its creative force; acoustic camouflage that can soothe us; and the thrill of bioluminescence.
When we asked for water-related memories that stood out, they spoke of the rain and monsoons, diving in the deep blue ocean early in the morning, and listening to shallow water chimes. Not all memories are pleasant, and we hear more about the fears that being in water, or in deep spaces, can invoke, and what it takes to let go. We also find out more about underwater acoustics, and how the sonic signatures of marine creatures are changing with the changing climate.
To treat water as kin is to first acknowledge our own relationships with water-our oldest memories, hidden fears, our delight and joys, how we experience the sounds and taste of water, and the stories we’ve listened to growing up. Through sharing their stories, our three wise and wonderful guests invite us to do the same: to discover more about ourselves, to examine how we relate to the natural world around us, and to delve into the unknown and unknowable.
Our guests are:
Sejal Mehta is an author and editor based in Mumbai, India. She is a published author for children’s books and one feminist anthology, and a debut non-fiction book on intertidal wildlife called Superpowers on the Shore, published by Penguin Randomhouse in 2022. To further her individual outreach goals, she has launched Snaggletooth, a line of nature-inspired merchandise that illustrates positive associations between humans and animals.
She tweets and posts on Instagram as sejalmehta06.
Divya Panicker has recently completed her PhD in Oceanography from the University of Washington. Her work focuses on cetacean distributions, habitat use and behaviour off the southwest coast of India.
Tasneem Khan is a biologist, photographer, adventurer, and educator who has spent the last decade facilitating interdisciplinary initiatives in the fields of ecology, conservation, education, and science communication. She is now focused on place-based education through a co-founded initiative Earth Colab and also started Sea School in Ireland.
Find Tasneem Khan on Instagram.