Margaret Howe Lovatt

Margaret Howe Lovatt (born 1942) is an American former volunteer naturalist from Saint Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, known for her work with dolphins in a NASA-funded project led by John Lilly. Inspired by a childhood book about animal communication, she joined Lilly’s research aiming to teach dolphins human speech.

In the 1960s, Lovatt worked at Lilly's "Dolphinarium," where they housed three dolphins: Sissy, Pamela, and Peter. She focused on teaching Peter to mimic speech sounds, documenting her efforts with twice-daily sessions. Challenges included Peter’s sexual urges and a controversial article in Hustler that damaged their research reputation. Funding cuts led to the dolphins being moved to smaller tanks in Miami, where Peter's health deteriorated.

Lovatt remained on St. Thomas, married a photographer, and converted the Dolphinarium into a home with her three daughters. Her story has appeared in media, including Saturday Night Live and Rick and Morty.