CONTENTS
TITLE PAGE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
INSPIRED BY A TRUE STORY
PHOTO SECTION
COPYRIGHT
SPLASH! Mandy waded into the water and giggled as a school of tiny silvery fish darted past her feet.
“It’s squishy!” she called to her older brother, wiggling her toes in the wet sand. “There’s little fish, Troy. Come see!”
Troy stood on the beach and saw his six-year-old sister swinging a bucket in the distance. She had wandered past the end of the beach and was up to her knees in a muddy lagoon. “Mandy!” he shouted. “You better come back. Mom’s gonna be mad!”
Mandy ignored her brother and followed the little fish swimming around a bend. Troy hurried down the beach. He was two years older and knew his mom expected him to watch out for his little sister. If anything happened to her, he’d be in big trouble. When Troy got to the end of the beach, he trudged through the muddy shallows, annoyed. He reached down and scooped up a handful of mud to throw at his sister. Just as he was about to toss it, he heard Mandy gasp and drop her bucket. Mandy’s eyes grew wide and her mouth stood agape. What now? he thought. He followed the direction of her stare and couldn’t believe what he saw.
A huge bottlenose dolphin was staring back at them.
* * *
Kyle Connellan gripped the steering wheel as the Clearwater Marine Aquarium’s truck bounced up and down on the Florida dirt road. He had to get the team to the lagoon — and fast. Within moments, the truck lurched to a stop and the aquarium’s emergency staff scrambled out. Kyle jumped out of the driver’s side with ease. It had been several years since he injured his leg in the army. Watching him move, no one would ever guess that he needed a brace to help him walk. He ran his hand along the side of the truck with CMA’s logo and tagline, Rescue-Rehabilitate-Release, then opened the back door. Marine mammal specialists Phoebe, Kat, and Rebecca, and his cousin Sawyer, immediately started to load the stretcher with wet towels. Kyle took a second to look at his fifteen-year-old cousin, Sawyer. He could still remember a time when Sawyer felt awkward and shy talking to anyone other than him and didn’t know a thing about marine animals. It was only four years ago that Sawyer had found Winter, a wild dolphin with her tail caught in a crab trap. The few months after that had been life changing — for Sawyer and the dolphin. Winter’s tail was so badly injured that it had to be amputated. Without her tail, she could only swim by moving the back of her body from side to side. But since dolphins aren’t built to swim that way, this caused major damage to her spine. The doctors didn’t think she would make it. If it hadn’t been for Sawyer’s crazy idea to ask the doctor who made Kyle’s leg brace to make a prosthetic tail for Winter, the dolphin wouldn’t have survived. It turned out that working with Winter and the other CMA staff, like the head of the animal hospital, Dr. Clay Haskett, and his daughter, Hazel, helped Sawyer get over his shyness and made him excited about something for the first time in his life. Winter was able to save Sawyer just as much as he saved her. And here Sawyer was rescuing a dolphin again. But this time, he was confident, happy, and part of the CMA staff. I am the youngest CMA staff member, Sawyer thought. Well … except for Hazel.
* * *
“When CMA staff arrived on scene, CMA 1307A was found struggling on her left side,” Sawyer narrated. On the television, video footage played of Kyle, Phoebe, Kat, Rebecca, and Sawyer running past Mandy, Troy, and their mom at the lagoon. “Her blowhole was largely submerged. She had small lesions, mucus coming out of her eyes, and was severely sunburned, a common problem with beached dolphins, as their skin isn’t adapted for prolonged exposure to the sun.” Sawyer looked around at the room of new CMA volunteers. He felt a little weird listening to his own voice describing the latest dolphin rescue over Hazel’s video footage.
“The team suspected possible lung infection,” Sawyer-the-narrator continued as the video showed the staff trying to lift the dolphin’s blowhole out of the water. “Which led to her being disoriented … which led to her beaching.” On-screen, the dolphin flailed and knocked Kat back into the muddy water. “This dolphin was named Mandy after the little girl who found her,” Sawyer said as the camera focused in on Mandy, Troy, and their mother. “Now, science doesn’t know whether dolphins feel emotion the way we do — fear, joy, sadness. But their brains are as complex as ours — and to us, Mandy seemed terrified.”
Sawyer remembered how the team worked together to gently move Mandy onto the stretcher. He heard himself describing it. “It wasn’t easy, as the area was a mud flat. Mandy was eight and a half feet long and weighed about three hundred fifty pounds.”
Sawyer focused on watching the video and tried to ignore his voice-overs. He watched as he, Phoebe, and Kat gave Mandy fluids and antibiotics for her respiratory infection back at the aquarium, followed by Dr. Clay and Clay’s father, Reed, spreading a topical ointment on her sunburn. Sawyer couldn’t help but smile as the screen showed later footage of Mandy swimming in the medical pool. “Since then, she’s been gaining strength every day and is well on the road back to being a healthy animal,” he heard himself conclude.
The room of volunteers applauded as the film credits filled the screen. Directed by Hazel Haskett. Cinematography by Hazel Haskett. Edited by Hazel Haskett. Hazel-H Productions. All rights reserved.
“All right, everyone,” Sawyer said, addressing the volunteers. “Next session, we’ll go into more detail about strandings, marine animals that get stuck in shallow water or on beaches. Before we go, I just want to thank all of you for volunteering. You guys are what keeps CMA going….” He shrugged. “You … and really big truckloads of fish.” He smiled as the volunteers laughed. “See you all Wednesday.”
Sawyer was gathering his papers and getting ready to leave when two girls around his age approached him.
“Hi … uh … Sawyer …?” said a girl with dark, straight hair.
Sawyer looked up, startled.
“Sorry — we just wanted to say thanks,” said the girl, stumbling over her words. “The reason we volunteered was ’cause we heard all about you and Winter —”
“All Susie ever talks about is dolphins,” her friend said, jumping in. “She wants to be just like you.”
Susie felt her cheeks get hot. “I do not.”
The three were standing together awkwardly when Hazel poked her head in the door. “Sawyer, we’re ready to —” She paused when she saw the two starstruck girls, who looked maybe a year older than her. “We’re ready to start,” she said, looking back at Sawyer casually.
“Oh. Right.” Sawyer glanced from Hazel to the girls. “Excuse me …” he said, shifting his papers. With a slight blush, he headed out the door.
“Eek!” cried a woman as her bag fell to the ground with a thud. Huge crowds of tourists were bustling through the Great Hall of the Clearwater Marine Aquarium. After Winter’s success with the prosthetic tail, the former marine animal hospital had been renovated and expanded to become a first-class aquarium. Hundreds of visitors flooded the halls every day to see the exhibits and the star dolphin. The Great Hall was filled with people standing in line to buy tickets for the movies about rescued animals, school groups exploring the marine life exhibits, and patrons studying the maps, planning out their day. With all the distractions, someone was using the opportunity to try to steal a bag! The woman whipped aro
und to stop the thief and saw it was … a pelican?!
“Rufus! No!” Rebecca came rushing over. But Rufus was too fast. With his big beak, he snatched a teddy bear that had fallen out of the bag and ran off, disappearing into the crowd.
“My bear!”
“Oh!” Rebecca looked down and noticed a little girl pointing after Rufus and clinging to the leg of the woman who had dropped the bag. “I am so sorry —”
“If you can’t control your pelican, you shouldn’t have him here!” said the toddler’s mother.
“Rufus isn’t exactly our pelican….” Rebecca replied. Hazel had named him Rufus a long time ago because he lived on the roof of the aquarium. He came and went as he pleased.
“Well, whose pelican is he, then?” asked the woman, getting more and more irritated.
Rebecca thought for a moment. “I — I don’t think he really belongs to anybody….” She looked back down at the young girl and had an idea. “Why don’t we go to the gift shop? Pick out something new?” When the little girl nodded, Rebecca led her and her mother toward the gift shop. That Rufus … she thought. Always getting in trouble …
* * *
Over at the aquarium’s outdoor rooftop dolphin pools, Hazel adjusted the microphone and looked out at the crowd on the bleachers. “Ladies and gentlemen,” she began. “Please give a warm welcome to champion surfer Bethany Hamilton!” The audience applauded enthusiastically. They couldn’t wait to watch Bethany meet Winter. Bethany Hamilton had not only placed first in national championships, she had done it after losing her arm in a shark attack when she was just thirteen years old. Now in her twenties, Bethany continued to surf professionally.
As Bethany took the stage, Sawyer stood on a platform over the East Pool, which was holding Winter and Panama, the aquarium’s one other female dolphin. He held out a yellow rubber-duck ring. It was a signal to Winter to come up and get her prosthetic tail. Winter scooted up to the platform and made a trilling sound that resembled a tweeting bird. She used it to communicate with Sawyer ever since he rescued her. Then she pushed her rostrum, the beak-like part of her face, through the ring.
“Thanks, everyone,” Bethany said, taking the mic from Hazel. “It’s such an honor and a blessing to be here with you, so we can show our appreciation for the wonderful work being done here at Clearwater Marine Aquarium.” She looked over at Sawyer petting Winter. “Winter is a remarkable dolphin who’s been such an inspiration to me and, I know, to all of you, too.”
As if on cue, Winter sent a splash of water into Sawyer’s face, making the crowd laugh. Sawyer groaned and wiped his face. Then he stepped aside to make room for Bethany on the platform.
“Winter normally does two sessions a day with her prosthetic, and as you can see, she really likes it,” Hazel explained, having taken the mic back from Bethany. She gestured to Phoebe and Sawyer, who were now showing the surfer how to attach the plastic tail to Winter. “With it on, she can swim normally — using up- and downstrokes — and already it’s stopped the damage to her spine. She’s living a healthy, happy —”
Winter interrupted by splashing Sawyer in the face again.
“— life,” Hazel said with a smile.
“Cut it out, Winter,” Sawyer whispered. He turned to Bethany. “Just hold the tail out where she can see it.”
Bethany lifted the tail and tilted it toward Winter. But instead of staying still, Winter wiggled restlessly. She looked at Sawyer and tweeted, then squirmed to look over at the other dolphin swimming in the pool.
“Looks like Winter is being extra playful today,” Hazel joked.
Sawyer muttered under his breath, “She’s being a brat.”
Bethany looked worried. “Maybe it’s me.”
“No, no,” Sawyer said, watching Winter. “She loves people. She’s just in a weird mood for some reason.”
“Winter loves the tail, but she’s still young, like a teenager in human terms. And you know how we teenagers can be,” Hazel said, entertaining the audience like a pro.
Everyone laughed except the dolphin trainers. Phoebe eyed Winter and the other dolphin, Panama, still swimming in the pool. “Can you gate Panama?” Phoebe called to another trainer. “I think she’s distracting Winter.”
As the other trainer signaled Panama to swim over to a connected pool, then closed the gate, Hazel continued. “That was Panama. She was rescued twelve years ago. She couldn’t catch her own fish, and we found out why — she’s deaf. Even though she’s much older than Winter — she’s over forty, we think — she and Winter are best friends.”
Winter seemed calmer once Panama was gated, and Sawyer was able to pet her while Phoebe showed Bethany how to attach her tail. “Okay, Winter. Good girl,” said Phoebe, guiding Winter back into the water. The dolphin slid off the platform and into the pool. She swam gracefully, moving her tail up and down.
Sawyer glanced at Bethany. “You ready?” he asked. Bethany nodded and they both dipped into the pool. Winter immediately swam up to Bethany, curious about this new person in the pool. She dipped under the surface and sent out a call. Winter listened to the echoes to learn more about her. By echolocating, she figured out that Bethany was missing an arm. Sawyer held out his hand and gestured for Bethany to do the same. When she did, Winter pushed her rostrum into the palm of Bethany’s hand, making her twirl. Bethany and the crowd were delighted.
“She’s amazing,” Bethany said in awe.
“She likes you, Bethany!” someone called out from the crowd.
Winter made her tweeting sound.
When Winter began to swim around again, Sawyer showed Bethany how to hold Winter’s top dorsal fin. Bethany took hold and Winter started to swim away, pulling Bethany behind her in a big circle. Together they glided around the pool, captivating the crowd.
* * *
Later, after Bethany and the crowds had left, Sawyer and Phoebe finished up with Winter in the pool. Sawyer removed the dolphin’s tail and handed it to Phoebe. “Okay, Winter,” Sawyer said. “I gotta go.” Winter responded with her Tweety Bird sound. “See you tomorrow,” Sawyer said, getting ready to get out. He put a blue mattress in the pool, but Winter ignored it. She tweeted louder. Sawyer was puzzled but gave a shrug. He was heading for the ladder to climb out of the pool when Winter splashed him.
“Hey!” he grumbled. Now that Winter had his attention, she bolted off the platform and swam to the gate separating her from the other pool, holding Panama.
“What is she doing?” Phoebe asked.
“I don’t know….” Sawyer replied. “She’s acting really strange.”
From by the gate, Winter whined.
Phoebe thought for a second. “Panama is, too,” she added. “She didn’t eat her two p.m. bucket. Or her five.”
Sawyer glanced over at Panama drifting in the water. “You tell Clay?”
“Yeah, he’s going to run some tests.”
Sawyer and Phoebe watched in silence as Winter continued to squeal at the gate.
* * *
Since there was nothing they could do but wait for Panama’s test results, Sawyer headed home. He pedaled his bike up the driveway and hopped off in front of his house. “Hey, Mom, I’m —” he called while walking through the front door. He stopped in surprise. His mom, Lorraine, wasn’t preparing dinner as usual, but instead was sitting with two unexpected guests: his cousin Kyle and an older man with dark brown hair whom he didn’t recognize.
“Sawyer, say hello to Dr. Martin Aslan,” his mother said.
“Uh, hi,” Sawyer said. He put his backpack down. “Nice to meet you.” Sawyer looked over to his cousin and smiled slightly. “Hey, Kyle.”
Sawyer took a seat and waited to see what was going on.
“Sawyer, I watched you today with Winter,” Dr. Aslan began. “And everything Kyle tells me seems to be true. You really have quite a knack with dolphins.”
“Dr. Aslan’s my advisor at Boston University,” Kyle explained. “He’s helping me get into med school.”
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Sawyer nodded. “Okay …” But what is Dr. Aslan doing here? thought Sawyer. At my house?
Dr. Aslan opened his briefcase and took out some brochures. “I’ll get right to the point, Sawyer. We have a special program at the university for marine biology students. It’s called SEA Semester. Twelve weeks on a sailing ship, a full learning experience right on the ocean.” He handed the brochures to Sawyer.
Glossy photographs of dolphins and whales leapt off the page. Teenagers posed together looking goofy but happy on the deck of a majestic ship. Sawyer stared, speechless.
“Next semester, we’re emphasizing marine mammals — our students get hands-on teaching from some of the finest scientific minds in the country. Sailing on a tall ship, cruising through the Caribbean. And swimming with wild dolphins in some of the most beautiful waters on earth.” Dr. Aslan couldn’t help but grin, seeing Sawyer entranced. He had opened the brochure to see the SEA students in scuba gear swimming inches away from schools of tropical fish, coral reefs, and a pod of hundreds of dolphins.
Dr. Aslan resumed. “Every year we invite one gifted high school student to join us. And this year …” Kyle and Lorraine glanced at each other and smiled. “This year, we’d like it to be you.”
Sawyer’s eyebrows shot up and his jaw dropped. Did he just hear that Dr. Aslan wanted him? As Kyle’s advisor went on to explain how rigorous and challenging the program’s curriculum would be, Sawyer could barely keep up. But Dr. Aslan’s last words brought him out of his stupor.
“Yes, Sawyer.” Dr. Aslan stopped for a moment, seeing Sawyer’s incredulous look. “Full scholarship. All paid for.”
Lorraine and Kyle beamed at him.
“We’ll speak to your school and get you credit for the entire semester,” said Dr. Aslan, shaking Sawyer’s hand. “Just come to Boston with Kyle at the beginning of the term … and we’ll take care of the rest.”
The next morning, Sawyer biked to CMA faster than usual, as if the SEA Semester brochures sticking out of his back pocket were powering the pedals. He replayed Dr. Aslan’s words from the night before. He had said that Sawyer’s work with Winter was already well-known in the field. Sawyer was astounded that top marine biologists knew anything about him! He couldn’t wait to tell Dr. Clay and Hazel. If it weren’t for Hazel sneaking him in to see Winter after the CMA team first brought the animal to the hospital and her father, Clay, letting him help with Winter’s recovery, who knows how Sawyer would be doing in school? When he found Winter, he had been on his way to summer school after failing every subject except Shop. And now here he was with a full scholarship to a once-in-a-lifetime semester abroad. He hurried through the door to find them and immediately crashed into a throng of people heading down the stairs from the upper deck. He saw Rebecca ushering guests down the stairs and hurried over to find out what was happening.
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