This is a story about family, but also about love and nature and tradition. My mother was raised in Iowa, more than 1,000 miles from the nearest coast. Yet, she was always fascinated by the ocean—studying biology at a time when women were told they couldn’t be scientists and moving to the Caribbean as a young biology teacher—spending all her free time bumming rides on scuba diving trips.

Life took her back up to the frozen tundra of Minnesota, but she did her best to instill her love of the ocean in myself and my brother. My first experience in the sea was as a six-year-old—swimming after stingrays, angelfish and sea turtles—marveling at the coral right at my fingertips. Continued exposure to nature—whether snorkeling in the ocean, hiking in the deserts or camping in the north woods—predictably led me to a career in conservation science and policy.

When my niece, Maggie, was born 18 months ago, Mom started planning her introduction to the sea. In January, Grandma and Granddaughter trudged through the snow for weekly swimming lessons. In February, the flights were booked and miniature sunglasses were purchased. Stepping out of the Fort Meyers airport in March, Mom declared she could already smell the salt in the air.

Arriving on Sanibel Island, we headed directly to the beach, Maggie carrying her little yellow bucket to collect shells. She immediately walked into the waves, splashing the water with her hands. She drew lines in the sand and watched the waves wash her drawings away. She became enamored with fish crows and mimicked their call. She was fascinated by a beached sea urchin, eagerly showing her father the treasure. Examining some dried horseshoe crab egg sacs, she got distracted every time a pelican flew overhead.

The rest of the week Maggie demanded to be taken to the beach right away in the morning. We took turns playing with her in the water and every time she was taken out of the ocean, she grabbed someone else’s hand to lead them back in. The evenings brought protesting tears as we packed up the umbrella and chairs to head back in.