Goffinet McLaren

Born in the historic coastal town of Carrickfergus, Northern Ireland, Goffinet McLaren’s lifelong connection with the sea began before she could even spell the word “ocean.” Surrounded by rugged cliffs and gull cries, she learned early that every tide tells a story and that every story can inspire change.

After moving to the United States in 1979, she married Ian McLaren and began a new chapter near South Carolina’s shoreline. There, her joy at rediscovering the sea was overshadowed by heartbreak: plastic litter washing ashore, endangering the very creatures she’d always adored.

Determined to respond with hope rather than despair, she wrote Sullie Saves the Seas, a tale where empathy, humor, and education soar together on seagull wings.

When she isn’t writing, Goffinet can be found walking the beach with her husband, watching the horizon, or speaking to students about ocean stewardship. Her message is simple yet powerful:

“Take nothing but pictures, leave nothing but footprints, and protect the sea that connects us all.”