A Mississippi Whale Tale

Chapter 1 Rescue Shane swiped his fingers across his forehead, slinging the heavy sweat off the side of the boat. He shaded his eyes as he gazed towards the sun. Shane knew it would be another hot south Mississippi day. He maneuvered his boat through the marsh listening to the sounds of great blue herons while the morning sun stretched over the Bay of Saint Louis. He settled into one of his favorite fishing spots, baited his hook, and tossed it off the side of the boat into the water. It landed with a small splash below the reeds. He smiled at his perfectly placed toss and said, "There's gotta be a fish there." The air was muggy and the gnats were biting their way through his clothes, but the Mississippi Coast was his favorite place. It was home. Shane knew his boat and the bay with all its special "fishin' holes" very well. He drew in a deep brackish breath of fresh air, savored the taste for a moment, and released it when he heard an unusual loud sound. "Puhh... Shhha!" Shane looked for the sound. "What?" He whispered swinging his head from side to side trying to identify its source. "Puhh... Shhha!" He heard it again, as he anxiously reeled his line in, and he then moved the boat around a bend towards the noise. "Puhh. Shhha!" The sound reminded Shane of a scuba diver taking a deep breath. As he moved closer, the sound grew louder. He leaned forward, squinting against the bright sun, but the needle rush grass concealed the sound's source. As he turned around the next grassy bend, his eyes widened at a twitchy, jerking motion in the black mud ahead. Leaning forward, he noticed a black body directly in front of him. As it lifted its head, Shane saw frantic eyes staring up at him. "What is that?" Shane gasped. The animal jerked again, throwing muddy sludge with its flat tail. Shane realized that he was looking at some kind of dolphin, stranded on the mudflat, and it needed help and fast. "Where's that card?!" He searched his backpack throwing hooks onto the boat's floor. Shane plunged deeper into the bag until he had finally found his wallet. "Puhh. Shhha!" He heard it again as his boat drifted towards the marshy bank. Shane's hand shook as he flipped open his wallet, found the card, and read. "1-888-SOS-DOLPHIN." As fast as he could, he dialed the number, "1-888-SOS-DOLPHIN," which should have connected him to the local marine mammal stranding hot-line. For Shane, the phone rang for what seemed like an eternity, until a voice came through, The Institute for Marine Mammals stranding hot-line. This is Alicia. Can I help you?" "Uh, I'm in Bay St. Louis, and I found a black dolphin!" Shane said. "You found a what?" Alicia asked him to confirm the strange sighting. "Uh, yes ma'am. A black dolphin." Shane replied. "Okay?" Alicia said. "I'm going to need more information from you like: the animal's description, its injuries, and your GPS coordinates. Then, I can send someone out there to help." Alicia said. "Puhh. Shhha." A second exhale bellowed causing Shane to spin around and scan across the muddy water towards land. He paused for a moment and held his breath. "Sir?" Alicia asked. "Yeah. Yeah. I'm here." Shane answered. "Puhh Shhhaa." A small spray dispersed above the black mound. His mouth dropped open in amazement as he noticed another black lump completely on land near a patch of reeds. "There's another one!" Shane released the words through his breath. "Did you say that you see a second dolphin?" Alicia asked surprised. "I think so, but this one's out of the water." Shane replied. "Okay." Stunned, Alicia looked at her phone and reached for her pen. "Give me your exact coordinates, so I can get help!" She dictated the numbers as fast as Shane gave them. "Okay. We're on our way!" "Please hurry." Shane turned back to the black dolphin at his feet, parted the reeds, and revealed its extensive wounds. "They may not live very long."