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Chapter 4:- Does the Whale Know We Are Here to Help?
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Keara poked Christina and Patricia with her left hand, while pointing urgently with her right. "Look, she has a calf. There's a baby! We have to help her, she has a baby!"
Christina and Patricia exchanged a look, identical looks of horror on both their faces. "She's right," said Christina, "There is a calf beside her."
Patricia turned and said in a louder voice, "Captain Juan, we have a calf here as well. I think this is as close as we should get."
"OK, yes, I see it," said Captain Juan, "I'll stop here but I'll leave the engine running.
Ethan turned to Captain Juan and said, "You leave the engine on so other whales will know we are here. If other whales try to come help her they might capsize our boat when they surface. They don't look up as they swim, but they hear the boat's engine and avoid it."
Captain Juan smiled down at Ethan, "That's right. We don't know if they hear it, or whether they feel the vibrations, but leaving the engine running helps them see where we are."
While Ethan and Captain Juan were talking about why the engine would be left idling, others had gone into action. Christina and Patricia had checked to make sure their knives were in the sheaths strapped to their belts and they had jumped into the ocean water. They bobbed to the surface, shook the water from their faces, and began swimming a crawl stroke towards the whale.
Captain Juan called to Grandpa Jim, "Can you man the controls while I help?"
"Of course," said Grandpa Jim, "I'll stay on board with the children."
Captain Juan also checked to make sure he had a knife, and he dove over board. He didn't bother to shake the water from his hair when he came up, he just began swimming.
Keara too wanted to jump in to help but she knew she wasn't that good a swimmer. Swimming in a pool was one thing but swimming in the ocean was entirely different. She had been in the water a few times but always with floaties on her arms and with adults nearby to help her if she struggled. There was no one to help her swim now, they were busy doing something much more important. They were saving the mother Humpback whale.
Keara joined Grandpa Jim and Ethan and all three peered over the steering wheel watching the action.
"Does the whale know that we are trying to help her?" Ethan asked Grandpa Jim. The whale seemed much calmer than he thought she would be. He had thought she would struggle to get away from the unfamiliar beings, the people, approaching her.
Grandpa Jim said, "I think animals know a lot more than we realize. I think all animals sense when we are trying to help them. And we all know how smart whales are!"
Keara said, "Yes, they have brains the size of small cars," her Miss Know-it-All voice then changed to a frightened whisper, "How much longer Grandpa Jim? Will she be alright?"
Keara poked Christina and Patricia with her left hand, while pointing urgently with her right. "Look, she has a calf. There's a baby! We have to help her, she has a baby!"Christina and Patricia exchanged a look, identical looks of horror on both their faces. "She's right," said Christina, "There is a calf beside her."
Patricia turned and said in a louder voice, "Captain Juan, we have a calf here as well. I think this is as close as we should get."
"OK, yes, I see it," said Captain Juan, "I'll stop here but I'll leave the engine running.
Ethan turned to Captain Juan and said, "You leave the engine on so other whales will know we are here. If other whales try to come help her they might capsize our boat when they surface. They don't look up as they swim, but they hear the boat's engine and avoid it."
Captain Juan smiled down at Ethan, "That's right. We don't know if they hear it, or whether they feel the vibrations, but leaving the engine running helps them see where we are."
While Ethan and Captain Juan were talking about why the engine would be left idling, others had gone into action. Christina and Patricia had checked to make sure their knives were in the sheaths strapped to their belts and they had jumped into the ocean water. They bobbed to the surface, shook the water from their faces, and began swimming a crawl stroke towards the whale.
Captain Juan called to Grandpa Jim, "Can you man the controls while I help?"
"Of course," said Grandpa Jim, "I'll stay on board with the children."
Captain Juan also checked to make sure he had a knife, and he dove over board. He didn't bother to shake the water from his hair when he came up, he just began swimming.
Keara too wanted to jump in to help but she knew she wasn't that good a swimmer. Swimming in a pool was one thing but swimming in the ocean was entirely different. She had been in the water a few times but always with floaties on her arms and with adults nearby to help her if she struggled. There was no one to help her swim now, they were busy doing something much more important. They were saving the mother Humpback whale.
Keara joined Grandpa Jim and Ethan and all three peered over the steering wheel watching the action.
"Does the whale know that we are trying to help her?" Ethan asked Grandpa Jim. The whale seemed much calmer than he thought she would be. He had thought she would struggle to get away from the unfamiliar beings, the people, approaching her.
Grandpa Jim said, "I think animals know a lot more than we realize. I think all animals sense when we are trying to help them. And we all know how smart whales are!"
Keara said, "Yes, they have brains the size of small cars," her Miss Know-it-All voice then changed to a frightened whisper, "How much longer Grandpa Jim? Will she be alright?"
