1140
Views
Views
21 Votes
Chapter 3:- A Sad Sight
"Keara that is a very good question," replied Grandpa Jim, "the fishermen told us where they had last seen the whale but there is no way of knowing if the whale will still be in the same spot." He went on, "The fishermen saw the whale dive once so she isn't completely trapped in the netting, she probably won't have gone far but if she dove and couldn't get back to the surface..." his voice trailed away.
Keara was sad when she thought of the whale trapped by the net, struggling to get back to the surface maybe drowning before they could help her. Keara remembered how she felt when she had been swimming in the surf a few days before and been knocked down by an unexpected wave. Keara didn't know which was up and she had struggled to breathe herself until the wave receded and Grandpa Jim had picked her up out of the water. It was scary not being able to breathe, Keara's eyes welled with tears as she thought about the trapped whale. She wondered if it was struggling to breathe right now.
Grandpa Jim sensed her distress and he knelt down beside her. "Don't worry Keara! We'll get there! Remember, the last time the fishermen saw her, she was still swimming and diving. Those are both good signs." Keara's head bobbed up and down as he spoke. Those were good signs. She had watched the whales from the boat for days now and had learned some of their behaviors. Her grandfather went on to say, "The fishermen said the net was only wrapped around one pectoral fin. If it was her tail, that would be much worse. We're almost there Keara."
With those words Keara left his side and made her way past the cabin and the captain's niche where Ethan was leaning against Captain Juan, and moved to the bow of the boat. Christina and Patricia were scanning the ocean looking for any sign of the whale. The light of dawn had begun to filter through the cloud cover. The additional light helped but Keara still thought it would be hard to see a dark whale in a dark ocean.
Patricia reached out with her left hand and tapped Christina's shoulder, but her head didn't move. "There, do you see it? Do you see where I am pointing? Is that it?"
Christina raised her binoculars and peered in the direction Patricia was pointing, "Yes, yes, I see a whale, not sure if it is our whale but we will soon know" in a louder voice she said, "Captain Juan, out there, about 400 yards at 2 o'clock."
Keara felt the boat slow down, she knew Captain Juan would not want to scare the trapped whale. He would approach slowly.
"Yes, I see it" said Captain Juan. Keara saw Ethan peering over the steering wheel, straining to see what everyone else was seeing.
As they got closer Keara saw a whale resting on top of the water, the way mothers with newborn calves did sometimes. She could see the netting wrapped around the right fin and at her side, Keara saw a sad sight. It was a young calf at his mother's side. Oh no! This trapped whale was a mommy!
"Keara that is a very good question," replied Grandpa Jim, "the fishermen told us where they had last seen the whale but there is no way of knowing if the whale will still be in the same spot." He went on, "The fishermen saw the whale dive once so she isn't completely trapped in the netting, she probably won't have gone far but if she dove and couldn't get back to the surface..." his voice trailed away.
Keara was sad when she thought of the whale trapped by the net, struggling to get back to the surface maybe drowning before they could help her. Keara remembered how she felt when she had been swimming in the surf a few days before and been knocked down by an unexpected wave. Keara didn't know which was up and she had struggled to breathe herself until the wave receded and Grandpa Jim had picked her up out of the water. It was scary not being able to breathe, Keara's eyes welled with tears as she thought about the trapped whale. She wondered if it was struggling to breathe right now.
Grandpa Jim sensed her distress and he knelt down beside her. "Don't worry Keara! We'll get there! Remember, the last time the fishermen saw her, she was still swimming and diving. Those are both good signs." Keara's head bobbed up and down as he spoke. Those were good signs. She had watched the whales from the boat for days now and had learned some of their behaviors. Her grandfather went on to say, "The fishermen said the net was only wrapped around one pectoral fin. If it was her tail, that would be much worse. We're almost there Keara."
With those words Keara left his side and made her way past the cabin and the captain's niche where Ethan was leaning against Captain Juan, and moved to the bow of the boat. Christina and Patricia were scanning the ocean looking for any sign of the whale. The light of dawn had begun to filter through the cloud cover. The additional light helped but Keara still thought it would be hard to see a dark whale in a dark ocean.
Patricia reached out with her left hand and tapped Christina's shoulder, but her head didn't move. "There, do you see it? Do you see where I am pointing? Is that it?"
Christina raised her binoculars and peered in the direction Patricia was pointing, "Yes, yes, I see a whale, not sure if it is our whale but we will soon know" in a louder voice she said, "Captain Juan, out there, about 400 yards at 2 o'clock."
Keara felt the boat slow down, she knew Captain Juan would not want to scare the trapped whale. He would approach slowly.
"Yes, I see it" said Captain Juan. Keara saw Ethan peering over the steering wheel, straining to see what everyone else was seeing.
As they got closer Keara saw a whale resting on top of the water, the way mothers with newborn calves did sometimes. She could see the netting wrapped around the right fin and at her side, Keara saw a sad sight. It was a young calf at his mother's side. Oh no! This trapped whale was a mommy!
