Shindara: A Dolphin’s Tale by Brian Wizard is an imaginative ocean adventure set among the bottlenose dolphins of Australia’s Great Barrier Reef, blending friendship, romance, danger, humor, fantasy, and the struggle between the freedom of the sea and the world of humans.
The story begins in the dolphin community of Shindara, where a violent tropical storm marks both the birth of a young dolphin named Hap and a tragedy that will shape his future. That same night, his celebrated grandfins, Burt and Bessie, encounter the enormous and feared King of Sharks, leaving Shindara with a loss its community will remember for years.
Six years later, Hap has grown into an energetic, talented young dolphin known for his athletic ability, adventurous spirit, and natural gift for performance. With the guidance of his mentor, Mr. Hoop, Hap begins following in the theatrical footsteps of his famous grandfins. Then he meets Shelly, a gifted young dancer whose arrival in Shindara changes his life. Together, the pair rediscover the Jazz Ballet traditions of Burt and Bessie—and discover that what begins as a performance may be turning into genuine love.
But Hap’s future holds far more than the theatre.
During the Harmony Festival, he makes a daring public pledge: one day he will confront the King of Sharks and end the creature’s threat to the dolphins of the reef. When danger returns to the Great Barrier Reef, Hap is forced to prove whether he can live up to that promise.
What follows carries Hap and Shelly far beyond the peaceful routines of Shindara. Sharks are not the only danger in their world, and an encounter with mysterious “land creatures” brings the dolphins face-to-face with humans, captivity, unexpected friendships, and an adventure neither could have imagined.
Through it all, Hap must discover what it means to become an adult, honor those who came before him, protect those he loves, and find his own place in a world much larger than the waters of Shindara.
Filled with talking dolphins, reef culture, romance, theatrical performances, dangerous predators, human encounters, and unexpected fantasy, Shindara is a distinctly unusual tale of courage, love, freedom, and adventure beneath—and beyond—the waves.