Chapter 1: The Whale Watch  

The whale rolled lazily onto its back and spread its flippers revealing a large light grey belly.  Natalie had never been so close to a whale before.  She felt like she could reach out and touch its smooth grey skin.  But she kept her hands tight on the rail of the whale -watching boat.  She felt flush with excitement and wonder.  This was one of the coolest things she had ever done. 

Jason stood beside her grinning from ear to ear.  Mrs. Brown kept a hand on his shoulder to remind him not to lean too far over the rail in case he might fall overboard.  “This is incredible!” Jason said to Natalie.  “This whale is huge!  It’s longer than the boat!”

“Yeah,” Natalie answered.  “What kind of whale did the captain say it was?” 

Mr. Brown, who had been busy snapping photos, said “It’s a Humpback whale, and they call this one Bessy”. 

“How do they know this one is Bessy?” 

Mrs. Brown answered, “Every whale has unique markings on its back and belly.  Bessy has a large brown patch on her chest.  Right there!” she said pointing to a dark brown patch of skin between the whale’s fins. 

“Oh yeah!” 

The whale began another slow roll, and several people on the boat took a step back including Mr. and Mrs. Brown.  Natalie looked around and saw only a few kids left standing next to the rail. “What’s going on?” she asked feeling uneasy.   Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown had a slight grin on their faces, so Natalie knew they were up to something. She turned around as the whale completed its roll revealing its broad back with the blowhole on top.  With a great whoosh, the whale blew out a blast of salt water and air spraying the boat and soaking Natalie, Jason, and everyone else who was still standing against the rail.  Then the whale took a deep breath and disappeared beneath the rolling ocean surface. 

“Uugh! Gross!” Jason yelled stepping back from the railing.  He shook the water from his hands.  His wet shirt hung from his slim shoulders dripping with water.  Natalie’s hair was soaked, and she turned and looked at her parents not knowing whether to laugh or cry.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown looked at her and burst out laughing.  “You knew this was going to happen, didn’t you!” Natalie accused them. 

“Yes, Dear,” Mrs. Brown said taking a napkin and wiping her daughters face dry, “We thought it might happen.  I’m sorry.” 

Mr. Brown just laughed and snapped a photo.  Then his face grew serious, and he looked across the water. “Look, over there!” he said.  “What’s that in the water.”  Everyone forgot about the whale bath and looked where he was pointing.  About thirty feet from the boat, something quite large was swimming on the surface towards them.  As it drew near, they could see two and then three dolphins approaching very slowly.  They were crowded closely together side by side, and they slowly swam right up to the boat.  “Wow!” cried Natalie and Jason together completely forgetting about how wet they were.  One of the dolphins then looked up at them and began to chirp loudly and shake his head up and down.  When it did, the middle dolphin slowly sank under the water.  The other two dolphins then lifted the middle one back to the surface. 

“That’s odd.” Mrs. Brown mused.

Natalie agreed and then said, “I think the middle dolphin is sick, and the other two want us to help him.” 

“I think you may be right,” said a deep voice behind them.  They all turned around to find the Captain looking over their shoulders at the three animals in the water.  He was a tall burly man with a short graying black beard.  He looked very concerned.  “I’ve heard of dolphins doing this before but never seen it.  I better call for help.”  He climbed the ladder to the bridge and spoke into his radio, “Yeah, this is the Captain of the “Whale of a Tale”. We’ve got a sick dolphin out here that needs help.”

 Chapter 2: The Dolphin Dies

 The two dolphins didn’t stay long.  They swam around their sick companion for a few minutes, keeping him on the surface and then, for no apparent reason, with a flip of their tails, they disappeared into the ocean depths.  The sick dolphin struggled to stay on the surface and bobbed several times before disappearing below the surface.  Natalie shrieked in horror, and the Captain went into action.  He handed Mr. Brown a long pole with a loop on the end and asked him to hook the dolphin’s fin with it, then took control of the ships wheel in case they needed to maneuver closer to the animal.  Mr. Brown leaned over the railing and waited for the animal to resurface.

“Com’on,” Natalie prayed, “Come to the surface”.  Everyone in the boat crowded around to watch.

 “What’s the matter?” Jason asked Mrs. Brown.  “It’s a fish. It lives in water, doesn’t it?”  “Well, yes, it does live in water, but it isn’t a fish, dear, it’s a mammal,” Mrs. Brown explained.  “Dolphins don’t have gills like fish. They have lungs like we do.  If he doesn’t come to the surface to breath air, he’ll drown just like a human would.”

“Oh,” Jason said bewildered.

 “There he is!” Natalie shouted pointing toward the stern of the boat.  Everyone stepped back, as Mr. Brown shuffled along the deck with the pole.  When he got close, he reached down into the water and quickly hooked the loop around one of the creature’s fins.  He then pulled the dolphin up to the surface.  The dolphin blew some air out its blowhole and took in a breath.  Everyone cheered. 

Natalie crowded up close to Mr. Brown and said, “Great work, Dad!” 

“Hmmm,” Mr. Brown said.  “Let’s hope he stays quiet until help arrives.”

 Fortunately, the wind was quiet, and the seas were calm.  Mr. Brown had little trouble keeping the dolphin on the ocean surface, and within half an hour an animal rescue boat was churning the waters beside them.  A young man wearing an orange jump suit quickly lowered a large canvas mat into the water, and after several tries, Mr. Brown maneuvered the dolphin onto it.  The young man turned on the winch which lifted the dolphin out of the water and up onto the deck of his boat.  Everyone breathed a sigh of relief when the dolphin landed gently on the deck.  Natalie beamed with pride and Jason yelled, “Alright!”  The Captain came down to the deck, shook Mr. Brown’s hand, “Nice work.”  Mr. Brown smiled and thanked the Captain for his quick thinking.

 The young man in the orange suit waved, and then the animal rescue boat quickly headed for shore.  The “Whale of a Tale” followed closely and everyone kept watch as the crew of the rescue boat dipped buckets into the sea every couple of minutes and dumped the water on the dolphin to keep him cool and wet. 

 When they neared land, the rescue boat veered off to starboard side and headed south.  Natalie watched it disappear and then announced, “I would like to go where they are taking the dolphin.”

“Oh boy,” Mr. Brown rolled his eyes. 

“But dear, what about our vacation?” Mrs. Brown complained. 

“This is more important.  What do you think, Jason?” Natalie said turning to her younger brother.  Jason knew that once Natalie had made up her mind, it was impossible to resist.  Besides, he was also interested.  “I’d like to go too,” he said quickly.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown looked at each other and agreed reluctantly to inquire where they were taking the dolphin.  Natalie immediately climbed the ladder to the bridge, and the Captain told them the animal shelter was about five miles south on Route 1.  They could find it easily. 

When the “Whale of Tale” docked, and they were on shore again, Mr. Brown insisted they stop for a slice of pizza.  Natalie and Jason ate quickly and waited impatiently for their parents to finish.  Mrs. Brown tried to engage them in conversation, but Natalie insisted they could talk in the car.  When they were finally finished, Jason gathered up the empty plates and cups and threw them in the garbage with being asked.  Mr. and Mrs. Brown looked at each other in astonishment.  “I guess they really want to go,” Mrs. Brown said.  Mr. Brown was speechless.

 They drove south on Route 1, and found the animal shelter nestled in a bay along the coast.  It was a small two-story building with weathered cedar shingles.  A sign on the front lawn read, "Marine Animal Rescue Clinic".  The rescue boat was moored alongside the dock out back, and several people including the young man in the orange suit were busy examining the dolphin.

 Natalie and Jason ran down onto the dock to see what was going on.  When they got there, they found the dolphin lying on the dock still on the canvas sling.  A tall thin lady was kneeling beside him, holding a stethoscope to its chest.  The young man continued to drizzle sea water over the animal.

 “Hi!” Natalie said looking hopeful.  “How’s our dolphin?” 

The young man immediately recognized them and said in a sad voice, “He’s not well.  He’s very weak and thin.  It’s like he hasn’t eaten in weeks.” 

“What’s the matter with him?” Jason asked. 

“We don’t know, but the doctor doesn’t see much hope”, the man said pointing to the tall lady with the stethoscope. 

“Oh no”, Natalie whispered.  Jason stepped back, grabbed Mrs. Brown’s hand, and watched the doctor working.

 After a few minutes, the doctor stood up and said, “There’s nothing we can do for him, I’m afraid.  He’s too weak.” 

“What do you mean?” Natalie complained.  “He’s still alive.  Why can’t you help him?”  The doctor looked at Natalie for a moment as if to gather her thoughts and then said, “I know you don’t understand.  But I’ve seen this too many times.  I cannot help him.”  Natalie stared at the lady and thought she was cruel.  How could she not do everything possible?  “Can’t you try?” Natalie choked out the words as a tear fell from her eyes.   Mr. Brown put his hand on Natalie’s shoulder.  “I’m sure the doctor knows what she’s doing,” he said.  

The doctor turned to the young man and said, “Keep him comfortable,” and then she walked away. 

Natalie knelt beside the dolphin and looked him over.  His skin was grey and sleek, but his stomach was hollow and wrinkled.  The creature did not move except for his slow shallow breath out his blowhole.  He was very quiet.  Natalie touched his fin and felt the smooth wet skin.  She stroked his back, and the dolphin looked at her for a long moment as though he were searching for something.  Then his dark brown eyes turned grey and lost their luster.  The dolphin let out one last breath and died.

 Chapter 3: The Autopsy

 Natalie sat on the dock and didn’t say a word.  She was steaming inside and didn’t know whether to cry and or go and tell the doctor how cruel she was.  Mrs. Brown sat with her for a while and tried to console her, but Natalie wasn’t listening.  She watched as several men and women picked up the dolphin and carried it on a cart up the dock and into house.  That only made her feel worse, and so she sat not knowing what to do with the pain and frustration she felt inside.

 Shortly, the doctor walked out of the house and spoke with Mr. and Mrs. Brown privately for a few minutes.  Then she went back inside.  Afterwards, Mr. and Mrs. Brown had a brief but intense discussion.  “What’s going on?” Jason asked looking across the lawn at his parents.  “I don’t know, and I don’t care,” Natalie said sharply.

 A few minutes later, Mr. and Mrs. Brown ended their discussion and came over to the kids looking very unhappy.  Although Natalie was curious, she didn’t want to show it and looked out across the water.  Jason stood beside her waiting to see what was going to happen.

 “Natalie.  Jason.” Mr. Brown began.  “The doctor is going to perform an autopsy on the dolphin, and she wants to know if you want to watch.”  Natalie shot a look at her dad as if to say, “Don’t joke with me, I’m not in the mood.”  But when she saw the stressed look on his face, she couldn’t believe it.  She looked at her mom, who looked like a wreck, and she knew they weren’t kidding. 

“You’re serious?” she asked to be sure. 

“Yeah, that’s kind of gross isn’t it?” asked Jason. 

“Yes, Mom and I are serious.  The doctor wants to show you something.  It will be gory with blood and guts.  It’s not like cleaning a small fish.  So, if you don’t want to watch, it’s OK.”

 Natalie forgot about her anger and felt a surge of energy flow through her.  Now she could do something with her feelings, put them into action.  She stood as tall as she could and said, “Yes, I want to watch.”  Jason hesitated.  Inside, he was not so sure.  But he told himself that the dolphin looked like a fish, and he had cleaned hundreds of fish.  It couldn’t be that different. 

“I want to watch too,” he said.  He hoped no one could see his knees wobbling slightly.  “OK,” Mr. Brown said.  “Let’s go meet the doc.”

 The four of them walked toward the house without saying a word.  When they stepped inside, the doctor immediately greeted them in the foyer.  She had changed into a blue surgical gown and hat.  Unlike the dock where she appeared cold, now she smiled and extended her hand in friendship. 

“Hello Natalie.  Hello Jason,” she said shaking their hands warmly.   My name is Doctor Savory.  I’m a veterinarian doctor.  And this is Matt,” she said pointing to the young man who was wearing the orange jump suit on the boat.  Now he was dressed in the same blue suit as the doctor.  Both Natalie and Jason said “Hello”.

Doctor Savory continued, “Matt told me how you rescued the dolphin today, and I wanted to thank you.”  Jason smiled and repeated the story about how Mr. Brown hooked the loop around the dolphins fin to keep him from drowning. 

“It didn’t matter because the dolphin died anyway,” Natalie concluded angrily.

The doctor’s face grew more serious.  “Yes, he did, and it was tragic.  No one cares more for these creatures than I do.  That’s why I do this work.  I can tell that you care a lot as well.” 

Natalie nodded but didn’t say anything.  She still blamed the doctor for not helping the dolphin.

“I can understand why you are angry.  But come this way, and I’ll show you why he couldn’t be saved.”

 They walked through an office into a surgical room in the back.  The dolphin lay in his side on a table covered with a white cloth.  His eyes were black and dull.  “Can you see how thin he is?” The doctor asked pulling back the sheet. “This dolphin starved to death.”  “Starved to death?  How?” Natalie asked. 

The doctor didn’t say anything, but put on a pair of latex gloves and took a scalpel off the counter.  With one stroked, she made a long incision along the dolphin’s belly.  Jason immediately felt light headed and turned away.  But when he heard Natalie ask, “Why isn’t there any blood?” he turned to watch again. 

“The heart has stopped pumping,” the doctor answered.  “There’s no pressure to force the blood out.” 

“Oh,” said Natalie amazed.

 The doctor put the scalpel on the operating table and, reaching inside the dolphin, gently pulled out a large white pouch.  Blue veins criss-crossed through the walls and a white tube came out of both ends.   She laid it gently on the table, “This is the dolphin’s stomach.  Look at how full it is.”  The doctor poked it, and they could see it was stuffed with something.

“That doesn’t make any sense,” Jason said. 

“This will,” Doctor Savory said picking up the scalpel and cutting an incision across the stomach wall.  She reached inside and pulled out handfuls of plastic bottle caps, cigarette lighters, syringes, and other bits of indistinguishable plastic pieces.  She continued to fish around inside the stomach as Natalie and Jason looked on horrified.  “Ah! This is what killed him,” the doctor said pulling out a plastic bag.  “It was lodged at the bottom of his stomach blocking his digestive track.” 

Natalie and Jason crowded the table and stared at the artifacts.  Neither could believe the amount of garbage that came from dolphin’s stomach.  Natalie reached for a red plastic bottle cap, and the doctor said, “Please don’t touch anything until you’ve put on gloves.”  Natalie took a pair of surgical gloves from the box and put them on.  Then she took the cap in her hands and felt the hard plastic.  Her hands shook as she held it up for her parents to see.

“It’s a bottle cap from soda bottle,” she stuttered hardly believing it.  Both Mr. and Mrs. Brown shook their heads stunned. 

“So, where does this stuff come from?”  Natalie asked. “I mean, I know people made this stuff, but how did it get into the dolphin?”  Doctor Savory took off her gloves and stood back as Matt took several photos of the dolphin and the garbage.  Then she said, “From garbage thrown into the water and washed into the ocean from beaches and through storm drains.  The fish eat them thinking its food.  Then the dolphins eat the fish.  Sometimes, if someone throws away a plastic bag with food in it, the dolphins eat the bag and the food together.”

 Jason put on a pair of gloves and searched through the garbage examining each item.  He recognized most of them except for some small clear beads.  He picked one up and asked, “Is this a pearl?” 

“No,” answered the doctor.  “It’s a nurdle” 

“A what?” Natalie and Jason asked together. 

“A nurdle.” The doctor repeated.  “Or a Mermaid Teardrop.  It’s a small plastic bead.  Millions of these are shipped around the world everyday to companies who make toys and other things out of them.  Unfortunately, millions are spilled everyday, and make their way into the oceans and the fish.”

 “Take a look over here,” Doctor Savory said as she strode into a small hallway lined with several displays.  She stopped in front of a clear plastic box about the size of large toaster.  Inside was a mess of large grey and white feathers, and in the middle were several bottle caps, an old orange cigarette lighter, a tangle of fishing line, a blue toothbrush and several cigarette butts.  Several small bones were mixed in with the mess.

“Is it a bird’s nest?” Jason asked. 

“Sorry, Jason,” the doctor said.  “It’s a baby albatross that died because its parents fed it these bits of plastic instead of the fish it needed to survive.”

“How come?” Natalie asked horrified.  She had completely forgotten her anger at the doctor, but she now felt something worse.

“The oceans are filled with garbage.  You can go to any beach or out into the middle of the Pacific and see miles upon miles of plastic garbage floating on the surface.  The birds mistake the plastic for fish, scoop them up and eat them or bring them home to feed their young.” 

“Look here!” shouted Jason looking at the next display.  “It’s a turtle.  What happened to him?” 

“Oh, the same thing as all the animals you see here.  It either ate some garbage or got tangled in it,” the doctor said sadly looking around.  “Dolphins, whales, sea gulls, ducks, turtles, seals, I get them all.  It’s a big mess.” 

Natalie looked up at her dad and said firmly, “Yes, and we’ve got do something about it!”

 Chapter 4: Mr. Morris

 “Well, I admire your spirit, Natalie,” the doctor smiled.  “But it’s a very big mess.”

“Oh, oh.  That was the wrong thing to say,” Jason squirmed.  He knew Natalie didn’t like being treated like a kid.  But Natalie didn’t rise to the bait. 

Instead she took a deep breath and asked, “We already recycle everything we can.  What else can we do to help the fish and the birds?” 

“I don’t know exactly,” the doctor said clearly impressed with Natalie’s question.  “But if you are really interested, you should go talk to Sam Morris.  He’s been working on this problem for years.  Here’s one of his business cards,” she said handing Natalie a small blue card.  “If you see him, give him my regards.”  

“I will.  Thank you, doctor, for showing us … all this,” Natalie came up short on words to describe what they had seen, but everyone knew what she meant.

 That night the Brown’s had a family meeting in their hotel room to discuss their vacation plans.  Would they spend their vacation swimming, sight seeing, and taking it easy as they planned or learning about garbage in the ocean?  In the end, they agreed to call Mr. Morris in the morning and talk to him.  That would likely be the end of it.  The next day, Natalie called Mr. Morris at 9 am sharp and spoke to him for half an hour at which time he invited them all to his boat about an hour drive south.  Mr. Brown groaned but agreed to go. 

“There goes the roller coaster ride,” he complained.

 They drove south on Route 1, took the exit into Orchard Bay and found Mr. Morris’ marina easily.  It was very big with many beautiful yachts and a helicopter pad on land.  A large helicopter sat on the pad with its blades slowly rotating, and the engines screaming loudly.  Mr. Brown parked the car and the four of them went inside the marina office.  It was very plain inside.  A wood desk with a chair sat on one side of the room and on the other side by the windows that looked out across the harbor was an old beige sofa with four green jump suits lying on it, two large and two small.

 Mr. Brown approached a man who was rummaging around in a closet in the back.  “Hello!” he called over the roar of the helicopter outside.  The man poked his head out from behind the door and smiled brightly.  He had grey hair, a deep tan, and weathered lines across his face as though he’d sailed all seven seas.  He was wearing a green jump suit and a pair of ear muffs hung around his neck. 

“Hi,” Mr. Brown shouted, “We’re looking for Mr. Morris.” 

“That’s me,” the man said warmly.  “You must be the Browns, nice to meet you.  Dr. Savory told me all about you.”  He looked at Natalie and Jason and greeted them both by their names.  They liked him immediately.

 “Come on then,” Mr. Morris said suddenly very busy again.  “We’ve had a change of plans.  I have to take a day trip out to my research vessel, and I’m inviting you all to come with me.  Not afraid of flying in a helicopter are you?” he said laughing.  “Your jump suits and ear phones are on the sofa!”

“Oh, no,” Mrs. Brown exclaimed suddenly alarmed, “Uh, Mr. Morris, we just came here for some information.  Then we have to get back to our vacation.”

Mr. Morris  glanced at her and gave a quick laugh.  “Well, it seems the rest of the team is ready.”

Mrs. Brown heard three zippers and turned around to find her husband, Natalie, and Jason all wearing their green suits, ear phones, and huge smiles on their faces.  She shot a look at Mr. Brown asking what he thought he was doing.  “What?” Mr. Brown countered.  “This is better than a roller coaster.”  Natalie handed her a suit and said, “Come on, Mom, you don’t want to be left behind do you?”

 Mr. Morris swiftly herded the Browns into the helicopter, and suddenly they were 500 feet above the coast line and headed west.

 Chapter 5 The Eastern Garbage Patch

 The helicopter rose higher above the water and Natalie, Jason, and Mr. Brown pressed their faces against the windows staring across the vast blue ocean as the coast receded beyond the horizon.  Below them, the white caps churned the surface pushing the ocean northeasterly.  “It’s beautiful,” Natalie shouted over the roar of the engines.  Jason nodded.  “This is the best vacation ever!” he shouted back.  Mr. Brown agreed.  Mrs. Brown huddled in her seat trying to understand how she ended up in a helicopter high above the Pacific Ocean.

 Several minutes later, Mr. Morris’ voice crackled through the ear phones.  “Thanks for coming,” he said.  “This will be a fun trip.  But I suppose you’re wondering where we are going.”  Natalie, Jason, and Mr. Brown all nodded.

“We’re going to the Eastern Garbage Patch,” he began.  “It’s an area in the middle of the Pacific Ocean about twice the size of Texas with slack winds and sluggish currents.  Garbage from around the ocean collects there.  It’s one of the world’s largest dumps.”  “Wow,” Jason exclaimed. 

“The Eastern Garbage Patch?” Natalie asked puzzled.  “I’ve never heard of it.  Have you, Dad?”  Mr. Brown shook his head. 

Mr. Morris continued, “Lots of scientists are talking about it, but it hasn’t reached the mainstream news yet.  We’re hoping to change that.”

 “What are we going to do when we get there?” Natalie asked.  

Mr. Morris  turned and faced forward, but his voice was clear through the headphones, “We’re doing a survey of the Patch.   We’ve been dragging nets for the past 24 hours, and we’re going out to see what’s been collected.”

 “Neat,” said Natalie.  Mr. Brown suddenly looked nervous.  “Does that mean we have to land on a ship?” he asked. 

Mr. Morris  nodded, “Yes, the Algalita II.  But don’t worry, it’s a beautiful day.  So, sit back and enjoy the view.  We’ll be there in a couple of hours.”

 The helicopter roared through the air over the wide open ocean.   Down below, miles and miles of blue water streaked with white caps constantly changed but eventually looked all the same.  Nonetheless, the two hours passed quickly.  Soon the Algalita II was in sight and the helicopter was making its approach.  The ship was about a hundred feet long and looked like a commercial fishing vessel.  A large cabin rose out of the deck in the middle, and a huge reel was mounted on the stern.  Large taught ropes stretched out the stern several hundred feet dragging a large net through the water.

 As they made their approach, Mrs. Brown fidgeted nervously, and Natalie took her hand to reassure her.  Seconds later, they felt a small bump, and Mr. Morris leapt from his seat onto the deck of the ship.  “Welcome to the Algalita II,” he said with a wide grin.  Natalie, Jason, and Mr. and Mrs. Brown all stepped out and stumbled across the deck after Mr. Morris.  The rolling swells felt much different under their feet than the vibration of the helicopter.

 They made their way to the wheel house where they met the Captain, Mr. Ovens.  He was tall and thin and had short scruffy black hair.  Despite his many years, he was very muscular and looked like he would be at home on a surf board.  “G’day,” he greeted them with a broad Australian accent.  “Welcome aboard.  Can I get you anything, tea, crackers, sea sick pills?”  The Browns declined. 

“Good then,” Mr. Morris exclaimed.  “Let’s see what we’ve collected!”

 Chapter 6:  The Garbage

 Mr. Ovens pulled back on the throttle, then pushed a small black button, and the winch on the stern began to turn.  The boat lurched as the ropes tightened and started hauling in the net.  As they waited, Mr. Ovens explained that for the past twenty-four hours, they had traversed the Eastern Garbage Patch collecting plastic garbage and whatever else was floating near the surface.  Natalie and Jason looked out the window at the blue water and waves.  Every now and then, they spotted a plastic bag or bottle, but not as much as they expected. 

“Most of the plastic is just below the surface,” explained Mr. Morris.

 Twenty minutes later, the crew was ready to bring their prize aboard.  The boom strained under its weight, but slowly, the net rose out of the water bulging with all kinds of things.  Natalie and Jason raced down to the deck and stared at the swollen dripping mess.  “Wow,” Jason exclaimed. “I’ve never seen so much garbage.” 

They lowered the net into a big metal box on the deck, and Mr. Morris disconnected the boom and let the garbage spill out into the box.  Natalie, Jason, Mr. and Mrs. Brown crowded around to see what they had collected.  Mounds of brightly colored plastic bags, bottles and bottle caps, fishing nets and floats lay glistening in the sun.  They each pointed to things they could identify. 

“Look, a running shoe!” cried Natalie. 

Mr. Morris looked around and laughed, “Yes, in 2002 a ship carrying a load of these running shoes from China to America dumped 33,000 of them into the sea.” 

“Really?” Mr. Brown said surprised. 

They saw plastic pails, toothbrushes, balls, syringes, toy soldiers, gloves, hard hats, and Styrofoam cups.  Mr. Morris slipped on a pair of large rubbed boots and jumped into the box.  He took a shovel and began turning over the heaps only to find more of the same.  A few fish flopped around and bits of seaweed lay here and there, but they were rare compared to the mass of small, unidentifiable, bits of multicolored plastic. 

“Hello! What’s this?” he said moving a large shovel full.  He picked up a yellow rubber ducky and tossed it to Jason who caught it easily.  “29,000 of these were lost at sea a few years ago off a cargo boat,” he said.  “The meteorologists and oceanographers have been using them to track the ocean currents ever since.” 

Jason looked at the rubber duck.  It was slimy with green algae and some of the yellow had faded but was otherwise in perfect condition.  He squeezed it, and it squeaked and spat out some water.  “Yuck,” he said tossing it back into the box.

Mr. Morris  continued shoveling for several more minutes before he stopped to wipe his brow.  “Wow,” he exclaimed with disgust. “I didn’t expect this much.” 

“Yeah,” said Jason.  “This is unbelievable.” 

Natalie thought for a moment and then asked, “So, what happens to all of this garbage?”  “Good question,” Mr. Morris began.  “Most of it will float around the ocean for 50 or 60 years and eventually sink to the ocean floor.  Or worse, the plastic will break into smaller and smaller pieces, and then the filter feeders like jellyfish eat it and get clogged up; then turtles and fish eat them and get clogged up.” 

“What do you mean clogged up?”

“Their stomachs become lined with plastic, and they starve to death.”  Jason and Natalie looked at each other and swallowed hard.

“Sometimes, when the Patch travels close to land,” Mr. Morris continued, “it barfs up a bunch of garbage onto beaches along the coast.  The Hawaiian Islands get a lot of it.  Sometimes the garbage piles up three feet thick on Kamilo Beach on the south end of the big Island.”

“Eww,” Natalie said.  “Are there other Patches?” she asked hoping the answer would be “No”. 

“Another great question!  Dr. Savoy was right about you.” Mr. Morris chuckled. “The Western Garbage Patch is down near Japan, and it’s almost as big as the Eastern Patch.  There’s probably at least one patch in each of the seven seas.”

“So, what are you going to do with this stuff?” asked Jason.  Mr. Morris stabbed his shovel into a heap of Mermaid Tears and said, “We’re going to sift through it, describe it, weigh it, take pictures of it, and try to get the word out to everyone we can.  Some friends are making a huge garbage sculpture, so we’ll give some to them.  Then we’ll send the rest to a landfill.”

 They spent the rest of the afternoon sifting through the pile of debris.  At four o’clock, the sun was getting cool, and the helicopter pilot said it was time to go.  Natalie and Jason waved goodbye to Captain Ovens and climbed aboard the helicopter.  Soon they were in the air again and heading east away from the sun. 

 The return flight was uneventful.  Jason slept for a while, and Mr. and Mrs. Brown spoke quietly.  Natalie asked Mr. Morris  many questions and before she knew it, two hours had passed. 

As they approached the coast line and the city, Mr. Morris  pointed to a large river and said, “That’s the Los Angeles river.  A few years ago, I slung a net across the mouth to see what I could catch.  I got nothing but plastic mermaid tears, plastic shopping bags, and other garbage.  A lot of the plastic in the ocean comes from garbage on the ground that gets washed off the streets and into the storm drains, rivers, and finally the ocean.  A lot comes from cruise ships and boaters too.  It’s the same in Boston, New York, New Jersey, and Miami.  Heck, it’s the same all around the world.  Houston is really bad because it has a lot of plastic factories.” 

Natalie looked out the window but didn’t feel much.  She was numb, too tired from the long day and too outraged to think anymore.  She sat back in her chair and closed her eyes.  The one thing she did feel was overwhelmed.  There was too much garbage and too many sources.  It was too big a problem for a young girl like herself.  Even her dad’s business, N&J Environmental, couldn’t handle this job.  The more she thought about it, the more overwhelmed she felt, and the more numb she became.  Natalie felt herself spiraling downward and helpless to stop it. 

Then she remembered her father’s advice, “Got a big problem? Break it down into manageable bits and attack it.”  It was advice that had helped her before, so why not try it now?  She stretched her arms and legs and sat up straight.  Then she began asking more questions and didn’t stop until they landed. 

Back at the marina, the Brown’s thanked Mr. Morris and said goodbye.  When they arrived back at their hotel, they all collapsed in their beds and slept soundly till late the next morning.

 Chapter 7: Back at School

 When Natalie’s and Jason’s friends asked what they did on vacation, they couldn’t remember much except for the whale watch and the Algalita II.  Back at school, Natalie sat at her desk and waited impatiently for the teacher to ask the one question teachers always asked on the first day, and the new teacher, Mrs. Losty, didn’t disappoint.  “I’d like to hear about everyone’s summer vacation.  For your homework assignment tonight, please write a page essay to present to the class tomorrow.”  The entire class gasped in disbelief.

Natalie’s friend, Maryellen, complained, “Can you believe it!  Homework on the first day! And it’s a presentation.  Ugh!  At least you have something to write about.”  Natalie smiled and nodded.  Then Maryellen added, “You’re not going to talk about all that garbage stuff are you.  That’s gross.” 

Natalie didn’t say anything but began to think.  “Of course, I’m going to talk about the garbage and much, much more”.  But how could she do it without turning off her classmates?

 The next day, the class sat restlessly listening to their fellow students talk one at a time for most of the day.  Finally, Mrs. Losty said, “OK, we’ve got one more to go.  Natalie is next, and she has some slides for us.” 

“Good,” Natalie heard one of her friends say, “At least I’ll be able to stay awake.”

 Natalie walked to the front of the class and inserted her flash drive into the computer. Moments later, a close up picture of the Bessy the Humpback whale lit up the screen.  “Wow! Cool!” the class erupted all at once. 

Natalie looked at their smiling faces and thought, “At least I have their attention.”  Maryellen gave her a thumbs up, and Natalie smiled broadly.

 “My summer vacation started with a whale-watch and ended with a helicopter ride to the middle of the Pacific Ocean,” she began.  Natalie described how they rescued the dolphin which died in her arms, the autopsy, the Algalita II, and the things they found in the Eastern Garbage Patch in the middle of the sea of plastic.  Each picture, taken by her dad, lit up the screen bringing the story to life.  All the while, she watched the faces of her classmates as they turned from excitement to sadness, to disgust, and finally to outrage.  Even Mrs. Lofty sat at her desk and watched intently.

 The last slide was a picture of Mr. Morris  in his green jump suit smiling brightly.  He was holding the grimy rubber duck in one hand and the running shoe in the other.  Natalie left the slide up on the screen, asked if there were any questions, and waited.  The room fell silent.  To her disappointment no one raised a hand. 

“Oh, please,” Mrs. Lofty said obviously irritated.  “Natalie has just presented a huge and compelling issue to us and no one has anything to say!”  Everyone stirred uneasily, but no one spoke. 

“OK.  I have a question,” Mrs. Lofty said.  “What can we do about the garbage in the sea?”  A couple of students mumbled “Yes” and some others nodded which gave Natalie some courage. 

“Well, Mr. Morris  said that once it’s in the sea there’s not much that can be done.  Trying to clean the sea would be a huge effort and would probably kill too much sea life.  We have to prevent the garbage from getting to the ocean in the first place.”

“How do we do that?” David, one of her class mates asked.  He was very popular and usually loud and obnoxious.  Natalie realized he had been very quiet during her presentation.  His question was also the one she had been waiting for, and although she was surprised it came from him, she didn’t want to waste the opportunity. 

“The biggest thing we can do,” she began.  “Eighty percent of the garbage in the ocean is from littering.  We all have to put our garbage in the garbage and our recycling items in the recycle bins, so they can be collected properly and don’t end up on the streets and in the water.  Cruise ships, boaters, landlubbers, marine merchants, garbage collectors, everyone has got stop littering.”

“Yeah right,” David snorted and the class burst out laughing.  Natalie felt her face flush red and her heart sink.  She was about to sit down at her desk when Mrs. Losty yelled to the class, “Just a minute!” 

 Mrs. Losty waited a few seconds for the class to calm down and then said calmly, “David, I think we understand where you’re coming from, but put it into words for us.”  David looked around nervously, not accustomed to explaining himself.  Then he said, “How are we going to stop everyone in the country to stop littering?  They’ve been doing it for years.  Who’s going to listen to a bunch of kids?”  Mrs. Lofty nodded approvingly and looked at Natalie.  The class fell silent again.

 Natalie collected herself quickly.  She felt fortunate to have spoken to Maryellen last evening and had anticipated this exact question.  “We don’t have to talk to everyone,” she began, “We just apply a little pressure, like a publicity campaign.”

 Natalie looked at David to see his reaction when another student, Mia, asked, “What about the laws to stop it?” 

Natalie answered.  “There are many laws already, but they aren’t really enforced.  We can send letters to our senators and representatives asking them to help enforce these laws.”  Natalie stopped again and waited.

 The class teetered silently for a few moments, then David spoke up, “I have a better idea.  My dad always goes to the senate to lobby for stuff.  Why don’t we all go there and talk to our senator?” 

“Yeah!  Field trip!” several students yelled.  Natalie’s heart just about jumped out of her chest.  She was so happy, she felt like she could give David a hug, which of course was out of the question.  She remained calm standing at the front of the class, but the smile on her face was so big it hurt.  She wondered if she looked silly.

 After the class calmed down again, Mrs. Losty said, “Well, I had a curriculum set for this semester, but I think Natalie has trumped it with a well deserving project.  Let me see what I can arrange.”

 Chapter 8: The Unexpected Visitor 

On her way home from school that afternoon, Natalie and Maryellen hurried across the playing field past the boys playing baseball.  As they reached the fence, they heard a boy’s voice bellow, “Hey Natalie!  Wait up!”  The two girls turned around to find David trotting slowly toward them.  “What does he want?” Maryellen asked curiously.  “I don’t know,” Natalie answered, but she could feel her heart pounding faster.

 David took off his baseball glove when he reached them.  He looked very nervous which surprised Natalie and made her feel nervous. 

“Uh, I … uh,” David stumbled for words, “I just wanted to say nice presentation this afternoon,” he barely managed to say. 

“Thanks,” Natalie squeaked.  Maryellen giggled, and Natalie turned a shot her a look.  Maryellen bit her lip and tried not to laugh.

Natalie turned to David again and said, “Um, thanks for helping.  I really appreciated it.”  ‘My dad tells me about meeting senators all the time.  It’s no big deal,” David said suddenly more confident. 

“Hey David, let’s play!” yelled one of the boys on the field. 

“Well, got to go.  See you,” David said, and he ran off to re-join the game.

 When he was out of ear shot, Maryellen burst out laughing. 

“Shut up, Maryellen,” Natalie scolded her.  Natalie was still shaking inside, and she wanted to talk about it but didn’t know what to say.  Maryellen was her best friend but she could be very kooky about these things.  Maryellen tried her best to maintain control of herself, but could not remain silent. 

So she asked, “Well, do you like him?”

Natalie considered the question for a moment, and then said, “You know David is loud and obnoxious.” 

“Yeah, but he’s cute,” Maryellen countered. 

“Maybe,” Natalie gave a little.  “I do think he was brave for speaking up in class.”  “Maybe he’s changed and won’t be so obnoxious this year,” Maryellen posed. 

“Maybe,” Natalie said.  Just then Jason caught up with them, and they dropped the subject.

 Chapter 9: The Senator

 A week later, Mrs. Losty announced the class field trip to the state senate to lobby Senator Thalate.  The class erupted with cheers, and Natalie felt very proud.  She glanced at David thankful he had made the suggestion and found him smiling at her.  She turned away immediately and felt her cheeks flush. 

“Don’t do that again,” she told herself.

 The field trip was scheduled a week later, and the days flew by quickly.  Mrs. Losty helped them prepare to meet Senator Thalate.  She explained that the Senator was very busy and could only meet with them for ten minutes, so they had to be very brief and concise.  The class prepared talking points and information to give to the Senator.  Then they held an election for their spokesperson.  Some of the boys voted for David, and the girls voted for Natalie.  David declined saying that Natalie knew more about the problem than he did and should be their spokesperson.  Natalie thanked everyone and accepted.  She glanced at David thankful once again and found him smiling at her again.  This time she allowed herself to smile briefly before turning away.

 David’s dad visited the class to give them tips on lobbying.  “Always address the Senator as Senator Thalate,” he explained.  “It’s a sign of respect for Mrs. Thalate, and for our government.”

 On the day of the field trip, Jason was allowed to join Natalie’s class, and he boarded the yellow school bus with his sister and the rest of the students.  The ride was noisy but short, and soon they were walking up the steps of the state house, a large white stone building with a bright copper roof.  Inside, the halls were white with dark wood beams.  Pictures of the President and past senators hung with poise.  Men and women dressed in suits hurried past them, their arms full of files and books.  Mrs. Losty hushed the class and marched them down the hall, up the stairs, and down another hall to a large wood door with a sign that read Senator Thalate in bright gold lettering.  Mrs. Losty was about to knock, when a young woman with a camera and pencil pad came running up the hall. 

“Sorry, I’m late,” she gasped. 

“You’re right on time, Amy,” Mrs. Losty said.  “Class, this is Amy Wright from the Globe Newspaper.  She wants to put our story in the paper.”  Then she looked at Natalie said, “And we’ve got a story to tell, don’t we?”  Natalie nodded.  Then Mrs. Losty turned and opened the door.

 The students crowded into the reception area and waited for about five minutes before the Senator invited them into her office.  The Senator’s office was large, but they had difficulty getting everyone in because of a stout desk and wall to wall book shelves.  Natalie looked around and was amazed at all the books. 

Jason whispered to her, “Do you think the Senator has read all these books?” 

“I don’t know,” she answered.

 When everyone was packed in, the Senator welcomed them all.  She was quite tall and sharply dressed in a grey suit with a white blouse.  She had a bright warm manner which Natalie liked.  “Thank you, Senator Thalate,” the class answered.  Amy snapped a couple of photos. 

“Now what can I do for you?” the Senator asked brightly.  That was Natalie’s cue, and she stepped forward clutching the package the class had prepared.  “Hello, Senator Thalate”, she began.  “I’m Natalie Brown and we’re concerned about the amount of plastic and garbage being dumped into the sea and the loss of life to dolphins, whales, turtles, and other sea creatures.”   As she spoke, she handed the Senator several pictures that Mr. Brown had taken of the dolphin and on the Algalita II.  The Senator looked at them and said, “Wow, this all came out of the ocean?” she said holding up the picture of the trash collected on the Algalita II.  “Yes, in the Eastern Garbage Patch in the Pacific Ocean,” answered Natalie.  “There’s another one just like in the Atlantic Ocean.  Every year thousands of sea mammals, turtles, and fish are killed by swallowing plastic and getting entangled in abandoned fishing nets.  Some are in danger of extinction,” Natalie said remembering her talking points.

 “I’ve never heard about this.  Is it really a big problem?” the Senator asked.  Natalie was shocked by the Senator’s question.  She had assumed that the Senator knew about everything.  Natalie hesitated for a moment, and Jason nudged her with his elbow.  “Oh yes!  Not only for the animals, it’s unsanitary and a danger to people too.”

 “Oh,” the Senator said leafing through the papers.  “OK.  So, what can I do?”

“First, we pledge to do our part by not littering. But we need everyone to stop.  So, we are going to do a publicity campaign to stop litter.  Second, we need your help.  There are many US and international laws to prevent pollution, but they are not enforced.  We think the United States Coast Guard should make it a priority to fine polluters.  And third, every port should have free garbage bins to make it easy for cruise ships and boaters to bring their garbage back to shore and dispose of it properly instead of dumping it overboard.” Natalie said, and she handed the Senator a piece of paper.  “This is a top ten list of the things we can do to stop trashing the oceans,” she finished.  The Senator looked through the list quickly while the class watched her.  Amy took another picture and scribbled some notes on her pad.

 “A new Bottle Bill for all containers like Maine.  Banning Styrofoam containers and plastic shopping bags such as San Francisco.  This is great information.  Thank you, class,” Senator Thalate said.  “I will look at this and give it some serious consideration.  I want to thank you for making the trip here to share this with me.”

 Mrs. Losty spoke up, “OK class, time to go.  Please wait out in the hallway until all of us are gathered and counted.” 

“That’s it?” Jason whispered to Natalie, but Natalie wasn’t listening.  As the other students began filing out, she stepped forward and offered her hand to the Senator. “Thank you, Senator Thalate.  I know you’ll help us,” she said.  The Senator shook Natalie’s hand warmly, and Amy took a photograph.  Then Natalie turned and walked out of the office behind Jason.

 Outside the office, the students talked and giggled quietly while Mrs. Losty counted everyone.  Amy asked for a copy of the information given to the Senator for her story, and then the class marched out of the state house and back onto the bus. 

Chapter 10: A Great Year

 By the next morning, the buzz had quieted, and things were getting back to normal.  Math class started, and the class was diving into their work when David walked in late.  He was carrying an armful of newspapers and had a big smile on his face. 

“Hello David,” Mrs. Losty greeted him.  “Do you have a Tardy Slip.” 

“I have something better,” he said, and he laid the stack of newspapers down on her desk.  Then he took one, opened it and showed the class a photo of Natalie shaking Senator Thalate’s hand.  Jason and several other students were in the background.  The class erupted with cheers, and Mrs. Losty clapped. 

“Thank you, David,” she said.  “That was excellent.”  Then she addressed the class, “This is not the end of this story.  We still have letters to write, a beach clean-up day with the Ocean Conservancy in a couple of weeks, and a publicity campaign to do.  But we also have basic reading, writing, and math to learn.” 

“Awwwww!” the class said collectively.  David placed the newspaper in his hand on Natalie’s desk, and winked at her.  Natalie felt her face flush red as several class mates giggled, but she couldn’t help smiling. 

“This is going to be a great year,” she thought.