Way back in the early 1990s, my dad got a wild idea to abandon the always-on-the-go life he and my mom had in Atlanta and transition to a more laid-back vibe on Tybee Island. They traded working all day every day with a two hour commute to working all day every day with a two minute commute.
One of the things he decided early on was to find an affordable way to get more youth out on the water. Back then, about the only way you could was with a six-pack charter at around $100 per person. So, he got his own captain’s license, found a former Navy life boat, rebuilt it, had me pick up dead palm fronds and help weave into a net to make the canopy, and made tours available to anyone at a fraction of a normal charter cost. In the almost 30 years of Capt. Mike’s Dolphin Tours, prices were only raised twice. It was important to him that as many people as possible could experience what we saw every day.
Daddy also believed in taking care of your community. He and Mom joined pretty much every organization on Tybee, but spent the most time with the Tybee Beautification Association, which became a family deal. We were out on the beaches and dunes multiple times a year doing litter cleanups, and sadly, there was never a shortage of need for that. We kept nets on the boat and picked up balloons, washed away plastic bottles from the beach, and whatever other garbage floated past.
While Daddy never said much (if at all), he taught me through his actions. I learned to respect Mother Nature and look after her coast. I inevitably also learned a lot about dolphins, since I got charged with creating our tour narration, which required me spending time at the Tybee library and having books ordered from Savannah for reference since this was all pre-internet. But mostly, I learned that I have to also lead by example if I ever want to make change in the world (and be ok with ticking off some people in the process).
For the last two years, I have been working on developing a program to continue Dad and Mom’s legacy. I’ve been attending trainings to become better equipped as a conservation educator, hoping to lead our youth into becoming the next stewards of our coast. I also got certified as an aquatics instructor to teach swimming and kayaking. Though I do not have everything I wanted in place right this minute, I am excited to say that the conservation program part at least will launch this September with our Scouts at Camp Tolochee.
He was a man that was difficult for me to understand and set high expectations, but he was always willing to do what needed to be done, no matter how dirty. Now it’s my turn.
