who saw him would say, “I bet you’re a scientist.”
Sheena and I were visiting Dr. D. on the Cassandra. Every year our
parents let us spend our summer vacation with Dr. D. It sure beats hanging out
at home. This summer, we were anchored just off a tiny island called Ilandra, in
the Caribbean Sea.
Dr. D. is a marine biologist. He specializes in tropical marine life. He
studies the habits of tropical fish and looks for new kinds of ocean plants and
fish that haven’t been discovered yet.
The Cassandra is a big and sturdy boat. It is about fifty feet long.
Dr. D. uses most of the space for labs and research rooms. Up on deck is a
cockpit, where he steers the boat. He keeps a dinghy tied to the starboard, or
right side of the deck, and a huge glass tank on the port, or left side.
Sometimes Dr. D. catches very big fish and keeps them temporarily in the
glass tank—usually just long enough to tag the fish for research, or care for
them if they are sick or injured.
The rest of the deck is open space, good for playing catch or sunbathing.
Dr. D.’s research takes him all over the world. He isn’t married and doesn’t
have any kids. He says he’s too busy staring at fish.
But he likes kids. That’s why he invites me and Sheena to visit him every
summer.
“Stick close together, kids,” Dr. D. said. “And don’t swim off too far.
Especially you, Billy.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. That’s his “I mean it” look. He never narrows his
eyes at Sheena.
“There’ve been reports of some shark sightings in the area,” he said.
“Sharks! Wow!” I cried.
Dr. D. frowned at me. “Billy,” he said. “This is serious. Don’t leave the boat. And don’t go near the reef.”
I knew he was going to say that.
Clamshell Reef is a long, red coral reef just a few hundred yards away from
where we were anchored. I’d been dying to explore it ever since we got there.
“Don’t worry about me, Dr. D.,” I called up to him. “I won’t get into
trouble.”
Sheena muttered under her breath, “Yeah, right.”
I reached out to give her another lobster pinch, but she dove under water.
“Good,” said Dr. D. “Now don’t forget—if you see a shark fin, try not to
splash around a lot. Movement will attract it. Just slowly, steadily return to
the boat.”
“We won’t forget,” said Sheena, who had come up behind me, splashing like
crazy.
I couldn’t help feeling just a little bit excited. I’d always wanted to see a
real, live shark.
I’d seen sharks at the aquarium, of course. But they were trapped in a glass
tank, where they just swam around restlessly, perfectly harmless.
Not very exciting.
I wanted to spot a shark’s fin on the horizon, floating over the water,
closer, closer, heading right for us….
In other words, I wanted adventure.
The Cassandra was anchored out in the ocean, a few hundred yards away
from Clamshell Reef. The reef surrounded the island. Between the reef and the
island stretched a beautiful lagoon.
Nothing was going to stop me from exploring that lagoon—no matter what Dr.
D. said.
“Come on, Billy,” Sheena called, adjusting her mask. “Let’s check out that
school of fish.”
She pointed to a patch of tiny ripples in the water near the bow of the boat.
She slid the mouthpiece into her mouth and lowered her head into the water. I
followed her to the ripples.
Soon Sheena and I were surrounded by hundreds of tiny, neon-blue fish.
Underwater, I always felt as if I were in a faraway world. Breathing through
the snorkel, I could live down here with the fish and the dolphins, I thought.
After a while, maybe I would grow flippers and a fin.
The tiny blue fish began to swim away, and I swam with them. They were so
great-looking! I didn’t want them to leave me behind.
Suddenly, the fish all darted from view. I tried to follow, but they were too
fast.
They had vanished!
Had something scared them away?
I glanced around. Clumps of seaweed floated near
Sheena and I were visiting Dr. D. on the Cassandra. Every year our
parents let us spend our summer vacation with Dr. D. It sure beats hanging out
at home. This summer, we were anchored just off a tiny island called Ilandra, in
the Caribbean Sea.
Dr. D. is a marine biologist. He specializes in tropical marine life. He
studies the habits of tropical fish and looks for new kinds of ocean plants and
fish that haven’t been discovered yet.
The Cassandra is a big and sturdy boat. It is about fifty feet long.
Dr. D. uses most of the space for labs and research rooms. Up on deck is a
cockpit, where he steers the boat. He keeps a dinghy tied to the starboard, or
right side of the deck, and a huge glass tank on the port, or left side.
Sometimes Dr. D. catches very big fish and keeps them temporarily in the
glass tank—usually just long enough to tag the fish for research, or care for
them if they are sick or injured.
The rest of the deck is open space, good for playing catch or sunbathing.
Dr. D.’s research takes him all over the world. He isn’t married and doesn’t
have any kids. He says he’s too busy staring at fish.
But he likes kids. That’s why he invites me and Sheena to visit him every
summer.
“Stick close together, kids,” Dr. D. said. “And don’t swim off too far.
Especially you, Billy.”
He narrowed his eyes at me. That’s his “I mean it” look. He never narrows his
eyes at Sheena.
“There’ve been reports of some shark sightings in the area,” he said.
“Sharks! Wow!” I cried.
Dr. D. frowned at me. “Billy,” he said. “This is serious. Don’t leave the boat. And don’t go near the reef.”
I knew he was going to say that.
Clamshell Reef is a long, red coral reef just a few hundred yards away from
where we were anchored. I’d been dying to explore it ever since we got there.
“Don’t worry about me, Dr. D.,” I called up to him. “I won’t get into
trouble.”
Sheena muttered under her breath, “Yeah, right.”
I reached out to give her another lobster pinch, but she dove under water.
“Good,” said Dr. D. “Now don’t forget—if you see a shark fin, try not to
splash around a lot. Movement will attract it. Just slowly, steadily return to
the boat.”
“We won’t forget,” said Sheena, who had come up behind me, splashing like
crazy.
I couldn’t help feeling just a little bit excited. I’d always wanted to see a
real, live shark.
I’d seen sharks at the aquarium, of course. But they were trapped in a glass
tank, where they just swam around restlessly, perfectly harmless.
Not very exciting.
I wanted to spot a shark’s fin on the horizon, floating over the water,
closer, closer, heading right for us….
In other words, I wanted adventure.
The Cassandra was anchored out in the ocean, a few hundred yards away
from Clamshell Reef. The reef surrounded the island. Between the reef and the
island stretched a beautiful lagoon.
Nothing was going to stop me from exploring that lagoon—no matter what Dr.
D. said.
“Come on, Billy,” Sheena called, adjusting her mask. “Let’s check out that
school of fish.”
She pointed to a patch of tiny ripples in the water near the bow of the boat.
She slid the mouthpiece into her mouth and lowered her head into the water. I
followed her to the ripples.
Soon Sheena and I were surrounded by hundreds of tiny, neon-blue fish.
Underwater, I always felt as if I were in a faraway world. Breathing through
the snorkel, I could live down here with the fish and the dolphins, I thought.
After a while, maybe I would grow flippers and a fin.
The tiny blue fish began to swim away, and I swam with them. They were so
great-looking! I didn’t want them to leave me behind.
Suddenly, the fish all darted from view. I tried to follow, but they were too
fast.
They had vanished!
Had something scared them away?
I glanced around. Clumps of seaweed floated near
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