and long tail. Antonia sawed faster, worried that he might hurt himself.
Cut the net, she urged, as if the stone could hear her thoughts. The turtle lashed out, almost knocking it from Antonia’s hand. She stumbled, then recovering her balance, stood with her feet further apart. In her mind she imagined the stone cutting through the rope as easily as if it was butter.
Suddenly, a warm feeling spread down Antonia’s hand and into her fingers. The stone grew almost too hot to hold. Antonia’s grey-green eyes widened. What was happening? She usually had this sensation when she was healing an injured animal. Fingers tingling, she pressed the stone against the net.
Cut, she thought.
Immediately the stone slid through the rope. Antonia tackled a new section of net. Again the stone cut through it with ease. With growing excitement, Antonia worked faster. She was vaguely aware of Cai watching her, his face a mixture of amazement and pride. Soon only the turtle’s hind flippers and tail were caught in the net. He tried to swim away, dragging the net behind him.
“Steady,” soothed Cai. Gently he laid a hand on the turtle’s head. “Don’t panic. You’ll soon be free.”
His calm manner worked like a dream. The turtle stopped struggling and turned his head to watch Cai with one oval-shaped eye. As the last piece of rope fell away, Antonia stood back, pushing the hair out of her eyes with a relieved sigh.
“We did it!” she exclaimed.
The tingly sensation had faded, leaving her hands as limp as washed-up seaweed. She watched the turtle strike out for freedom. He swam gracefully, his scaly neck outstretched as he propelled himself forward.
“Well done!” Cai turned to Antonia, eyes shining. “That was so cool. I never knew you could do that.”
“Me neither,” Antonia confessed. Longingly, she looked at the beach. It was so tempting to go and sit on the soft golden sand. She felt completely drained now the rescue was over.
“You can see the hotel from here,” said Cai. “It really spoils the view. Hey! Look over there…” His voice suddenly rose with excitement as a large lizard-like creature scuttled across the beach and disappeared behind the trees.
“What was that?” Antonia was glad she was safely in the sea.
“I think it was a goanna. They’re a type of lizard common in Australia. They eat baby turtles.” Cai started to go after it.
“I like turtles much better than goannas,” said Antonia with feeling. “They’re incredible and so dignified. Cai, where are you going? Diamond’s waiting for us.”
Cai stopped splashing towards the shore and turned back with a guilty grin. “Whoops! I almost forgot.”
Antonia laughed then suddenly feeling vibrations in the shallow water, she spun round.
“More dolphins! I bet they’re from Diamond’s pod.” She pointed to a small group of dolphins hovering out at sea.
“Wicked!” exclaimed Cai. “Let’s go say hello.”
Antonia counted five dolphins. There was Diamond, swimming a little apart from the rest of the group, two other adults and two younger dolphins. The littlest one was a bit larger than Bubbles and Antonia momentarily felt a flash of homesickness as she remembered her favourite dolphin friend.
The dolphins whistled a greeting as Antonia and Cai swam over. Diamond opened her mouth and clicked a laugh.
“Everyone’s so excited. You’re our first Silver Dolphins.”
“Hello,” clicked Antonia.
Diamond swam forwards and, dipping her elegant head, greeted Antonia and Cai with a friendly nose rub.
“Welcome to Blue Reef Bay,” she whistled. “There wasn’t time to say it before, but it’s an honour to have you here.”
Diamond had brought her closest family to meet the Silver Dolphins.
“This is my sister, Beauty, and her husband, Blaze,” she clicked.
The two adult dolphins dipped their silver grey heads. “And their children, Jet and Swirl.”
The younger dolphins swam forward and high-fived Antonia and Cai with a fin.
“Can we play with the Silver Dolphins?” Jet asked.
“Please, Aunty Diamond?” squeaked Swirl.
Diamond clicked a laugh. “If the Silver Dolphins want to,” she replied.
“We’d love to,” clicked Antonia.
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