An Irish Shark

"The earliest fossil evidence for sharks or their ancestors are a few scales dating to 450 million years ago, during the Late Ordovician Period." The woman read from her clipboard in a voice that reflected that she had given this tour about a million times. The sharks swam lazily, apparently having heard the lecture, and were relatively bored too. The tour guide didn’t look much older than the high school AP Biology class that was at the aquarium. Most of the students who had a "Y" chromosome stared at the guide's chest or the sharks hoping that a vat of chum might drop at any moment to inspire a feeding frenzy. The rest of the students either stared at their phones or tried to pay attention.

The guide paused, glanced at her notes, and continued, “The earliest shark-like teeth we have come from an Early Devonian fossil from 410-million-years ago. The fossil belonged to an ancient fish called Doliodus problematicus.” Leia shifted on her feet wishing she had gone with sneakers and not her cute ballet flats. Leaning over her friend Devon whispered, “See I’m so popular they named a whole age after me.”

Leia rolled her eyes and said, “Self-absorbed table for one.”

He grinned, “C’mon a day at the water zoo beats school any time.” Then he pushed his hair back off his eyes, Devon was forever needing a haircut or the commitment to grow out his dark hair.

A stern voice from behind them said, “Mr. Hernandez and Miss McKnight since you’re not paying attention, I think a class quiz might be in order on the information presented here today.” Normally Leia liked Mrs. Jennings who had taught biology for years and had quirky t-shirts with slogans like “Entomologists Fear No Weevil”.

Leia flinched as a soft punch hit her arm “Way to go princess.” Hissed the girl standing next to her. Carrie was in that grey zone of friendliness, she occasionally talked to Leia but for the most part, ignored her. For the millionth time, Leia wished her uber-geek family could have named her something different. Oh, but not her parents, not a nice normal name like Kimberly or Brittany. No, she was Leia Organa McKnight. Her sister lucked out with Inara Serra as a name, that was so obscure it seemed original.

“Sorry “she offered quietly, and the girl sniffed and stepped away. Okay, well that grey area was now solved, not so friendly. Leia glared at Devon who was oblivious to his classmate’s irritation at them. The offended girl in turn whispered to another classmate who gave Leia the preverbal stink eye. The guide was moving on to another part of the shark tank. Leia looked at the glass partition that kept millions of gallons of seawater and sharks away from her. The sharks swam lazily and as she stood looking at the coral reef that had been simulated, the plants and other ocean animals. She saw a large shark loom up, opening its huge mouth. She stood back and the guide said, “ Oh, everyone meet Finnegan. He is a Basking Shark from the coast of Ireland. He is new here.”

“Where’s his teeth?” Asked Chris, who Leia vaguely knew and thought he played basketball.

The guide was now animated having departed from the script, “Everyone thinks due to the movie Jaws, or Sharknado that sharks are all teeth and are killers. This fella who got himself beached is here with us to recuperate and be studied. The basking shark does have some teeth but is one of three planktivorous shark species, in addition to the whale shark and the megamouth shark. Basking sharks feed primarily through the use of gill rakers that are carried by the gill arches, through which it filters plankton as it opens its mouth to feed. Hence it has the huge mouth it just opened to show all of you.”

“That thing is huge, and it eats itty-bitty plankton?” Devon asked.

“ Crazy right? This huge shark and it lives on microscopic plants. The phytoplankton performs photosynthesis to convert the sun's rays into energy to support them, and they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen. So in a way, we all depend on these little guys too." She glanced at her clipboard that had her notes, “Shoot, I could talk about Plankton and Finnegan the Basking Shark, all day but we have to get the rest of the tour done.” She started to lead them away and Devon stopped. He reached out and took Leia’s hand, drawing her attention, “ Is that shark, waving?”

Leia looked over. The Basking shark bobbed, rolled, and came back to the exact same spot staring at the two students. Leia said, “It’s not interacting with us, it’s just doing what it does.”

They took a few steps and the shark followed. Leia stopped and walked backward; the shark followed. She twirled her hand, and the shark made the bobbing roll. Devon watching this said with wonder, “Dude you have a pet shark.”

Their instructor returned exasperated, “You two are lagging behind. I need you to stay with the group.”

"Mrs. Jennings after the tour will we have time to revisit the things that interest us?"

“Yes, but I need you to keep up.”

They followed her and she stared over her shoulder the Basking shark seemed to watch her leave.

After what seemed like a day of walking the promised 15 minutes was given for students to revisit some exhibits before getting on the bus to leave. Leia found her way back to the sharks and stood before the tank where she had seen the Basking shark. Her reflection showed her an olive-skinned girl with dark hair that in humidity puffed into an unmanageable mess. She hugged herself wishing she could be thin and lithe like her sister. Inara never had to circle sales wracks praying for her size.

Her thoughts were broken by a soft thud, and she jumped back as the shark returned. Staring at it she noticed that it had a rumpled fin. She frowned that must have hurt. She placed her palm on the glass and said softly, “That fin being messed up is what got you beached huh?”

“Among other things," said a voice in her mind.

She jumped back and looked around, “Okay Devon this is not funny.” She said tersely.

The shark rolled and bumped the glass. Leia narrowed her eyes, did it want her to touch the glass? Shyly she placed her palm and fingers on the glass, “ Hello, thank you for coming back.”

“Someone must have slipped drugs in my coke at lunch.” She said.

“I can hear you think them at me and touch the glass that touches the water. Speaking out loud might make your peers think you mad.” The shark replied.

“Ya think so?” she thought back sarcastically.

“Yes.” He said with an honest reply.

“Not to be rude, but I have only 15 minutes and I have to leave. So, why talk to me, and are you the only fish here who talks to people?"

“Actually, sharks are a subclass of fish called Elasmobranchii. You should really listen to the lecture.”

“Tic Toc mister” she replied waiting for the alarm on her phone to go off.

The shark managed a look of puzzlement, then continued “Yes, well I’m not really a shark, and I would like to be human again.” He said with a slight roll.

“I suppose you want me to get in that tank and kiss you?” she thought with a hint of snark in her mind.

“Save the kiss princess for when I have feet. I need you to touch me and recite a phrase in the Gaelic.” The shark seemed hopeful in his tone and Leia was sure she had been drugged.

“ I can’t get near you, let alone touch you. “

“Your highness there must be a way.” He pleaded.

“ I’m not a princess, I was named… never mind I can’t help you.”

“Manannán said he would not curse me if there was no way out of it. I have learned my lesson, please if you can hear me, you can break it.” The sharks’ fins drooped a bit.

The alarm on her cell sounded, it was time to go. “ Look Finnegan, I want to help…”

“ My name is Kieran mac Eoghan. The Finnegan is what this place calls me. I have been waiting this long, please …what’s your name?”

“Leia” she supplied.

“Leia if nothing else come talk to me, remind me I am human.”

“Hey there, your class is leaving," said a voice of a tall man with an ID badge that read director of the aquarium. “You seem to like sharks.”

“Just this one, he is… interesting.”

“He sure is, we don’t know why he left the Irish coast to get beached here, but we are happy to look after him .” the man searched in his pocket for a business card and handed it out to her. “You’re in an advanced biology class, call me and I bet this summer you could volunteer here, maybe say hi to Finnigan.”

She took the card and said, “His name is Kieran, and I will call you.” She glanced at the card, “Doctor Lehrman.” She turned made eye contact with the shark who bobbed in what she thought would be a yes, and she hurried to the bus.

The man smiled and looked at Kieran, “See you made a friend.” And hummed as he continued down the hall with all the occupants of the aquarium rushing up to follow along, as long as the tanks would allow.