Dolphin Overboard

Just gotta get to the edge, then I can hop over and escape.

Why don't they notice me here? I'm flopping around quite obviously.

I pressed my nose into the net that enveloped me, along with hundreds of wild tuna. Some were still moving, while others had given up long ago. I could feel it getting harder and harder to breathe myself.

I miss my pod. I thought sorrowfully.

I swished my tail into the air, trying to get myself off my side, into a more comfortable position. I accidently flipped a fish up into the air, hurling him over the edge and into the ocean. I let out a clicking noise and slapped my tail back down.

Why couldn't anyone flip me overboard?

"Oi, who just threw that fish back into the ocean?"

I turned my head toward the unfamiliar voice, letting out a small, angry spout through my blowhole.

"Looks like there's a dolphin in the batch!" Said a deep voice from somewhere to my left. A spark of hope flickered inside me. Someone had finally noticed me!

"Oh, great." Huffed the first man.

"Should we get it out?"

"Nah. We ain't selling dolphin-free tuna, after all."

With an angry series of clicks, I slapped my tail down hard on the tuna, throwing myself around in a desperate attempt to get over the edge, like a child having a tantrum. After a while of thrashing, however, I began to run out of energy, so I laid down flat on the net.

I flipped around as the sun burned into one side of my back. It seemed to be getting hotter by the second.

I let out a mournful trill, and I saw, in my peripheral vison, someone beginning to walk towards me.

It was a man in a green jacket with a fuzzy brown beard and short hair. He had a sad look in his brown eyes, so I gave him a quiet, sad click.

"Hey, Eric. Shouldn't we at least try to get this dolphin out?" He asked someone who I couldn't see.

"I guess you could try to, but it's more trouble than it's worth." Someone called from behind me.

The man began walking slowly toward me, so he wouldn't startle me. However, my instincts began to kick in as he got closer, and I started to trill wildly, swishing my tail into the air and snapping my small teeth together.

The man stepped back with a small sigh, then leaned over so he was only a little higher than eye-level with me.

"Look, I'm trying to help you, alright?" He said quietly, "But you've got to work with me here. I can't get you back into the water if you keep thrashing."

I stared at him for a long while, then let out a low trill, laying down flat on the net.

He gave me a small smile.

I suppressed my instincts as he walked towards me and put his hands on my side, pushing against my belly to turn me over, rolling me toward the edge. I thrashed my tail around a bit as I neared the water, tumbling over fish and out of the net. I squealed happily.

There was a raised edge on the boat, however, that would probably be hard to get me over.

"Can someone help me get this dolphin over the edge?" The man pushing me called over his shoulder.

"I'm coming!" Someone replied, and footsteps started in my direction. I let out a loud trill, followed by a series of clicks as I slammed my tail into the deck. The man began rubbing my head gently, saying, "It's alright, it's alright, he's just coming to help."

"Are you talking to that fish?" Asked the man who had come to help. "You know it can't understand what you're saying, right?"

"It may not understand words," He said, "But I'm sure it understands kindness. Now come on, give it a push."

Suddenly there were more hands pushing on my back, hauling me over the edge. I could feel the men's strain, so I tried to help by thrashing, hoping to flip myself into the ocean.

"God, this thing is heavy." Said the man, strain evident in his voice.

I gave a loud trill to tell them to remain hopeful, and it seemed to work, because just when I thought that they were going to drop me, the man in the front gave me one last shove...

… and over the edge I went.

As I fell into the sea, I let out a loud, long squeal as a thank you.

With a splash, I landed in the ocean, and I clicked gleefully, swimming around in the ocean.

Now I can go back to my pod! I thought with joy.

Lifting my head out of the surface, I stared up at the men who had helped me, giving them a large, toothy smile.

They smiled back.

I knew in my heart that I'd never forget those men.

____________________________________________________

While the Good Samaritans in this book helped the dolphin out of the net, that isn't always the case. Most people will just leave them there. Sad, isn't it?

Help the dolphins!

Buy dolphin-free tuna!