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?

In this episode we go deeper into what fascinates them about water - the flow of tides; properties like its solvency; its creative force; acoustic camouflage that can soothe us; and the thrill of bioluminescence. 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 hear more about underwater acoustics, and how the sonic signatures of marine creatures are chaning with the the changing climate.

Our guests are: Sejal Mehta, an author and editor based in Mumbai, India who has a debut non-fiction book on intertidal wildlife called Superpowers on the Shore, published by Penguin Randomhouse in 2022; Divya Panicker, an oceanographer whose work focuses on cetacean distributions, habitat use and behaviour off the southwest coast of India and Tasneem Khan, 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.

The Subverse is the podcast of Dark ‘n’ Light, a digital space that chronicles the times we live in and reimagining futures with a focus on science, nature, social justice and culture. Follow us on social media @darknlightzine, or at darknlight.com for episode details and show notes.

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