The Whale Biologist

• Conor Petersen, Grade 6, SCECGS Redlands - Murdoch Street Campus
• Short Story
• 2018

Excellence Award in the 'Horizon of Dreams 2018' competition

Whoosh, Josh sped out of his cave with so much enthusiasm that his mother thought that he was going to explode. He shot to the surface like a bullet and gasped for air, before diving back down to get his forgotten krill sandwiches from his mother. The whale had a special meeting with his hero, the Wise Whale!
Josh had dreamt of being a biologist for as long as he could remember. He had started studying shells when he was eight, but it was the year he turned ten that he realised that he wanted to investigate the mysterious creatures from the unwet. When Josh asked his parents about the creatures, they didn’t know anything about them. So he had decided to send the Wise Whale a bubble asking him about the matter. The Wise Won had agreed to meet him at second sun.
Josh was having the time of his life ducking and diving around the surface waiting for the Wise Whale to leave his cave. Josh gazed down at the opening of his hero’s cave waiting impatiently for him to rise. A big sharp object thrashed towards Josh, as Josh rose to check the time. Before Josh could react, the boat had already halted. Josh moved back, a safe distance away, waiting patiently for the silver boat to leave. Thwack, the snorkeler dived off the boat and landed on Josh’s head like a rock.
The first thing that the unwet creature did was make a strange high pitched sound and awkwardly swam away. Josh knew the creature needed help, so he decided to offer the creature some of his krill sandwiches. The creature cautiously took them from Josh and took a bite. The creature high fived Josh and swam back up to the unwet sky. The tin boat swam away spitting up water in its wake. Josh glanced back down to see the Wise Whale rise to the surface.
Angrily, the Wise Whale glared at Josh, asking for an explanation. Josh swam back a few metres. Nervously, he explained that he had not done anything wrong. Josh squirmed around looking for help. The Wise Won informed Josh that the creature was too dangerous and violent for a pup like him, so he should stay well away from the unstable beast.
Feeling down in the dumps, Josh made his way back to his cave, knowing deep down that the Wise Whale was wrong. He went straight to his barnac even though it was only third sun. After Josh started to feel a bit better, he began thinking about what his hero said to him. He contemplated his options, either give up or know that the Wise Won was mistaken. He realised that his hero, the Wise Whale, was completely wrong. Passionately, Josh planned how he was going to communicate with the unusual unwet creature. Quivering with excitement, Josh shot out of his barnac to begin his revolutionary search.