Margaret Howe Lovatt tried to teach Peter the dolphin how to speak English
but their relationship progressed to a whole new level, when she had sex with a
dolphin as part of a scientific study.
During the swinging 60s, animal researcher Margaret Howe Lovatt was part of
a Nasa-funded experiment on the US Virgin Islands to teach the intelligent sea
creatures how to speak English.
In 1963 she helped turn a house into a domestic dolphinarium by flooding it
with knee-deep water, where researchers could study the animals from their
home.
It was there she met Peter, an adolescent dolphin she described as
'sexually coming of age'. As the two bonded, their relationship soon progressed
to a more physical level.
Margaret said: "Peter liked to be... with me. He would rub himself on
my knee, my foot or my hand and I allowed that.
"I wasn't uncomfortable - as long as it wasn't too rough. In the
beginning I would put him on the elevator and say you go play with the girls for
a day.
"It was just easier to incorporate that and let it happen, it was very
precious and very gentle, Peter was right there, he knew that I was right
there."
Margaret claims this became a regular part of her studies, as she tried to
teach Peter to speak English.
She added: "It was sexual on his part - it was not sexual on mine,
sensuous perhaps.
"It would just become part of what was going on like an itch, just get
rid of that we'll scratch and we would be done and move on.
"I was there to get to know Peter, that was part of Peter."
But what started with Sixties idealism would spiral into the darkness of
the decade.
The experiment would end in tragedy, and for years after there would be
rumours of the dolphins suffering drug abuse with LSD tests and scandal over the
nature of Margaret’s relationship with Peter.
Margaret said: “I’ve had a good bunch of letters from people asking if
they could interview me, but I’ve not done any of it."
A new BBC documentary The Girl Who Talked to Dolphins will be screened at
the Sheffield Documentary Festival on Wednesday, June 11, before making its way
to BBC4 on Tuesday, June 17.
Surprisingly it's not the first time a human has forged a sexual
relationship with a dolphin.
Malcolm Brenner, 63, had a six-month sexual relationship with 'Dolly' the
dolphin at an amusement park in Florida in 1971.
He told how the female mammal 'came on' to him while he was in the pool
with her.
They then waited until the water park had closed for the day and her male
companion had been put away before getting it on.
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