In this episode, Sam Bell speaks with Peppie Simpson about the ocean as medicine, whale song, and what nature helps us remember. A pioneer of women’s surfing in Australia, Peppie brings decades across surfing, swimming, teaching, ocean guiding, and whale and dolphin work in Noosa. This is a wide, heartfelt conversation about deep connection to water, nature as intelligence, and the ways whales, dolphins, and the ocean can open people back into feeling, steadiness, and wonder. This episode explores: • the ocean as medicine for the nervous system, body, and mind • a life shaped by surfing, swimming, and deep relationship with water • Hawaii, Joan Ocean, and extraordinary experiences with dolphins and whales • whale song, dolphins, and animal communication • nature as intelligence, subtle signals, and remembering who we are • songlines, migration, and listening more closely to the natural world • grandmothering, guidance, and simple ways of living well • Noosa waterways, the Everglades, and connection to place Guest bio: Peppie Simpson is an ocean guide, surfer, swimmer, teacher, and lifelong water woman based in Noosa. A pioneer of women’s surfing in Australia, she founded the Victorian Women’s Surfing Association, which later became the Australian Women’s Surfing Association. She is a 2x Australian surf champion, a multiple state surfing champion, a 4x world champion in surf life saving ironwoman and swim events, and was recently recognised with both an Australia Day Award for services to surfing and the Noosa Festival of Surfing, and the Spirit of Longboarding Award at the Australian Titles. Through Whalesong Noosa, Peppie takes people onto the water to experience whales, dolphins, songs, and deep connection to nature. Her work also draws on decades of swimming, surf coaching, teaching babies and children in the water, time spent in Hawaii with spinner dolphins, and contributions to whale research. Guest links: • Peppie Simpson: https://www.instagram.com/peppiesimpson/ • Whalesong Noosa: https://whalesongsnoosa.com.au/ • Whalesong Noosa Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whalesongsnoosa/ Conversation references: • Peppie dives deep into dolphin research: https://noosatoday.com.au/news/13-01-2025/peppie-dives-deep-into-dolphin-research/ • Joan Ocean film: https://www.instagram.com/joanoceanfilm/ • Ocean Films: https://oceanfilms.vhx.tv/ • Pea Horsley: https://animalthoughts.com/ Books: • Dolphin Connection - Joan Ocean • Dolphins into the Future - Joan Ocean • Whale Whisperer - Joan Ocean • Heart to Heart - Pea Horsley • Animal Communication Made Easy - Pea Horsley Chapters: 00:54 Hawaii, Joan Ocean, and returning charged by the ocean 04:22 Dolphins, whales, and extraordinary moments 08:54 A life shaped by water, surfing, and Whalesong Noosa 11:44 The ocean as medicine 14:45 Dolphins, communication, and remembering who we are 20:50 Whale song, songlines, and nature’s intelligence 29:35 Grandmothering, guidance, and the Everglades 44:17 Love, focus, and being a dolphin in daily life Explore further: Book a Lab: https://naturalgenius.com.au Learn more about Sam: https://samanthabell.com.au Subscribe to hear future episodes. About Natural Genius: Natural Genius is a podcast hosted by Samantha Bell. Through thoughtful conversations with grounded, capable people, it explores how people build, lead, create, heal, and live in ways that are true to who they are, with greater signal and less noise. Credits: Hosted by Samantha Bell in Noosaville, 15 February, 2026 and Violet Town and Noosa, 1 April, 2026. Produced at the Violet Town, Peregian Beach and Kiama offices, 15 February - 24 April, 2026.
