Finding 'Oli
"Are you going to Big Beach tomorrow to look for a turtle's
nest?" Anita asked. Her mother took a last sip of coffee and looked
up from the morning paper. "You know I go every Tuesday morning."
"Oh, please, Mama," Anita begged. "Please can I come with
you? I am almost five years old!" Her mother paused as she carried
the breakfast dishes to the sink. "Yes, Anita," she replied with a smile.
I think this year you are ready to join a Dawn Patrol."
"Really? Oh, Mama!" Anita wrapped her small arms around her
mother's waist and then twirled around the kitchen in a dance of joy.
Early the next morning, Anita and her mother set out
through the deep woods that lay between their home and the beach.
They heard the loud thunder of the waves crashing on the sand. Anita
wondered how a turtle could brave such powerful waves, crawl up out
of the sea and across the wide beach to find a safe nesting place
among the sand dunes.
As they came out of the woods, they had their first view of Big
Beach and the brilliant, blue ocean beyond. Anita's mother stopped
suddenly, and Anita looked up in surprise.
"Look, Anita! Do you see those markings in the sand?" she
asked, and pointed toward the water.
Anita followed her mother's pointing finger, and her eyes
widened. All the way from the water's edge, across the beach and up
to the trees, were what looked like deep tire tracks left by an
enormous truck. A second set of tracks returned to the sea. "A hawksbill turtle made those tracks, Anita," her mother
whispered, eyes sparkling. "We have a new nest!"
A mother turtle had returned during the night to this beach,
where she had been born 25 years before. She chose a cool place
covered by the shade of giant kiawe trees, far enough away from the changing tides that the nest would stay safe and dry.
With her powerful flippers she dug through two feet of sand to lay her
soft-shelled eggs. They would hatch in about 60 days.
Anita skipped happily over the sand. Her mother made a careful
note of just where the turtle's nest lay. "You have been my good luck
charm today, Anita!" she exclaimed, drawing Anita into a warm hug.
All the way home they talked about turtles, turtles, turtles!
Anita thought of that new nest as her very own. Her mother
promised that they would sleep out on the beach, next to the nest, at
hatching time with their good friend, Cheryl. Cheryl worked for an agency trying to protect the hawksbill turtles on Maui. She had spent many nights on Big Beach, watching for the little hatchlings to appear. But two months--a long time to wait.
"What do you call someone who knows all about turtles?" Anita
asked. She was sitting on the couch with her father. He was reading
the newspaper and she was looking at her favorite book of pictures of
sea creatures. "Hmm," her father looked puzzled. "I don't know,
Anita. But a turtle is a marine reptile, and someone who studies
reptiles is called a herpetologist, I think."
"That's what I'm going to be when I grow up," Anita declared. "A marine herpetologist."
"A fine ambition," her father replied.
The summer days tumbled by, and Anita managed to tuck
thoughts of the turtle nest to the back of her mind until bedtime. Then, she would look at her tidy bundle--sleeping bag, sweatshirt, flashlight--waiting beside the bedroom door, and feel a shiver of anticipation.
"Today is the day, Anita," her mother announced. Gather your
things together. Tonight we sleep on Big Beach!"
Anita, her mother and Cheryl prepared their sleeping bags on the
sand next to the turtle's nest. They would take turns through the night, sleeping and watching. Lulled by the lapping of the waves and the soft evening breeze, Anita drifted off to sleep.
Moon Babies
She was swimming with the turtles in a dreamy haze when she
was awakened by her mother's gentle nudge. "The turtles are here!"
Anita sat up and rubbed her eyes. One after another, the tiny gray heads popped up through the sand. A flurry of miniature flippers followed. The baby turtles were greeting the world for the first time under the light of a full moon. They headed straight for the water. How did they know which way to go? They all knew! Anita stood up and gazed in amazement. Marching over mounds of sand, toppling over and struggling to control those brand-new flippers, they reached the waves and were swept into their new, watery world.
Anita had fallen in love. She made a wish upon a star that night
that she would find one of those turtles again one day.
Anita would have to become a good swimmer and learn to
snorkel before she could begin her search for the turtles. She was in
the water every chance she could get! She knew in her heart that her
wish would someday come true. Her parents watched, amazed at how
hard she was willing to work.
For her fifth birthday, she received a wonderful present. Her
parents gave her a special camera designed to take pictures both on
land and under water. Anita was thrilled! They also gave her a large
scrapbook, and that very day she started a collection of ocean scenes and sea life. It became a beautiful book. She and her friends spent hours taking pictures and collecting shells and other treasures off the beach. Her teacher was especially pleased when she brought it to school for show and tell.
Anita believed that Maui was a magical place. Sunrise brought schools of playful dolphins, leaping from the water and spinning in midair. Wherever she went on the island, the air carried the sweet smells of tropical flowers. At sunset, the sky glowed with bands of glorious color. And all around her, in all seasons, the blue ocean beckoned.
The whales came in the wintertime, swimming from the cold waters of Alaska to the warm waters of Hawai'i. Here their babies were born. Anita watched the pods cruise through the waves. Sparkling fountains were tossed upward as the whales blew through their blow holes. When she went snorkeling in whale season, she could hear the songs of the males from miles away--mooing, clicking and cooing.
Summertime brought the freedom of school-less days. Then the ocean became her whole world, and she delighted in the beautiful, strange and whimsical creatures she found there.
Anita and Mother Snorkeling
The summer Anita was 10 would prove to be the most eventful summer of her life. She had become a strong swimmer and now snorkeled out to the farthest reaches of the reef. She often went out with her "snorkel buddy" Auntie Maile, who loved the waters around Maui as much as Anita did.
Sunlight slanting through the water lit up the reef in dazzling colors. They played peek-a-boo with the striped sergeant fish, followed schools of the silvery, whiskered goat fish, watched the octopus change colors and the eels slide in and out of their caves. Together theyexplored much of the reef near her home, and Anita shared with Auntie Maile her secret wish to find a hawksbill turtle. Big green turtles, honus, were often eating seaweed close to the shore. But day after day, no hawksbill appeared.
One calm morning, Anita and her mother decided to venture out to a part of the reef they had not yet explored. They slipped into the water. The shimmering, blue-green world welcomed them, and they glided over the reef, gazing in all directions. Anita couldn't believe her eyes! Swimming right in front of them was a young hawksbill turtle! It was the smallest turtle Anita had ever seen swimming in the ocean. It was also the most beautiful! It was her wish come true.
Majestic 'Oli
Anita wanted to shout for joy! She swam cautiously toward the turtle and, to her delight, it turned to face her as if to say, "Aloha." Anita knew in her heart that they would be friends. The perfect name came to her. She would call her 'Oli, which means "joy" in Hawaiian. The turtle dived down, then, to the ocean bottom, and wedged herself under a ledge of coral to take a nap.
Anita's mother could see in her daughter's face that she had truly found joy! Back on shore, however, she offered words of caution. "Now you must be very careful with 'Oli," she said. "Of course you will be friends, but you must watch and learn from her. Make sure you give her plenty of room to swim and play, and you must never try to touch her." Anita knew all these things and promised that she would never do anything to harm Oli.
Hide-and-Go-Seek
She looked for 'Oli every day. When she woke up in the morning, her first thoughts were of 'Oli. She leapt out of bed, hoping always for clear weather and smooth waters. And most summer days Anita did find 'Oli, close to her coral home, playing hide-and-seek with the big honus. Sometimes Anita didn't have to look for her at all. 'Oli just appeared--gliding, dipping, drifting toward her.
They loved swimming together, Anita bobbing up with 'Oli from time to time as she took a breath of air at the surface. "Mirroring" was the most fun! Right flipper, right arm. Left flipper, left arm. Anita kept time with 'Oli, who swam a few feet below her. The happy summer sped by. Anita had never been so happy!
She was running down to the beach, her eyes already scanning the waves, planning another day with 'Oli. Whoops! Kerplunk! Her feet went out from under her, and she fell flat on her stomach. Her leg! A stab of pain. She hardly dared to look. A stream of blood was flowing from a deep cut just below her knee. She slowly raised herself up. Right behind her a sharp tip of lava rock peered out of the sand. She squeezed her eyes shut against the pain and could just hear her parents' frequent warnings, "Watch where you're going! Slow down! Pay attention to the hidden lava rock!"
Anita hobbled home and called out to her mother.
"Anita! What on earth has happened to you?" her mother cried in alarm. Anita could hardly answer. One look at her daughter's face and the blood running down her leg, and her mother knew that a trip to the emergency room was called for. She wrapped a clean towel around the cut, bundled Anita into the car, and off they sped.
The ER doctors and nurses were kind and efficient. They quickly cleaned the wound and stitched it up. Anita was just feeling the beginnings of relief when the terrible news came. "You'll have to stay out of the water until this has completely healed," the doctor told her sternly. "Ocean water contains bacteria that can cause serious infections."
"How long will that be?" she asked in a small voice. "I'm afraid it might be as long as a month," the doctor answered. She leaned against her mother and hid her face. A whole month without 'Oli! How would she bear it?
It was a sad and silent ride home. Anita climbed out of the car and said, "I'm going down to the beach." Her mother said nothing but let her go. Anita sat on the sand for hours, gazing out toward the reef, thinking of her friend.
She was almost dizzy with excitement when the doctor finally gave her permission to get back in the water. She ached with the missing of 'Oli. The next day, she and her mother swam out to the reef. Anita's head danced with questions, "Will she be here? Will she remember me?"
Anita's eyes scanned the crevices and outcroppings of coral, and there she was, her 'Oli! But as they got closer, they noticed that something was terribly wrong. 'Oli did not come up to greet them as usual. Anita and her mother looked at each other through their masks, asking silently, "Do you see what I see? Can this really be happening to the one we love?"
On the side of 'Oli's neck was a huge lump, almost as big as a golf ball. It was big enough to make it difficult for her to swallow! What had happened? What could they do to help? Her mother signaled to her to turn back, and with broken hearts they returned to shore. Slipping into their flip-flops, anxious and confused, they rushed home. Anita was fighting back tears. Her mother was quiet, thinking of the best way to save her daughter's precious friend.
As soon as she walked in the door, Anita's mother was on the phone to Cheryl, hoping she would know what to do. Cheryl was immediately ready to help. She knew a scientist in Honolulu, on the island of Oahu, who could advise them. "I will speak to my friend George at NOAA. We've worked together before. I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
Anita wondered if such a busy man would be interested in one sick, little turtle. She soon learned that he was interested!
Cheryl called back moments later. "George has given me permission to examine 'Oli," she said with excitement. "Then I'll report back to him, and we'll take it from there. Anita will have to be my guide. We'll go out tomorrow."
The next day, Cheryl met Anita on the beach. She was so kind and so interested in helping 'Oli. They swam quickly out to the reef. Anita led Cheryl right to 'Oli's house, and there she was, sadly hiding under the coral. The sparkle had disappeared from her half-closed eyes. The lump on her neck looked even bigger now than it had yesterday.
Carefully, Cheryl dove down to 'Oli's resting place and reached out her hand to 'Oli's neck. The sick turtle seemed to welcome Cheryl's gentle touch. She made no attempt to swim away.
Back on shore, Cheryl contacted George and talked with him about what could be done. Anita saw the concern on Cheryl's face and became even more frightened. Cheryl turned to her and said, "Try not to worry too much, Anita. It is because of your love for 'Oli that she is now going to get the help she needs. Have hope!"
George came up with a plan. He would fly to Maui himself, and he and Cheryl and Anita would swim out to 'Oli. In a special carrier, 'Oli would fly to Honolulu, where George had arranged to have her examined by another turtle specialist, a veterinarian. It seemed like an impossible dream. But now there was reason to hope!
At the appointed time, George arrived with a large dog carrier and snorkel gear. Anita had called on Auntie Maile and other friends to help in the search and rescue mission.
The sea was treacherous that morning! Enormous waves churned the sand and visibility was near zero. "Oh, Anita," her mother said with a sigh of dismay, "I can't let you go out in this. You're not strong enough. And your leg is only just healed."
"Mama!" Anita cried, "'Oli will die if we don't find her today!"
"I'm afraid your mother's right, Anita," Cheryl said. "We can't worry about losing you, too. With all of us searching, I know we will find her."
Anita stood looking down at her sandy feet, unwilling to yield.
"Anita," Cheryl continued, "We're not only helping 'Oli. Countless other turtles may benefit from what the doctors learn from her. Your 'Oli is a very special turtle. We will find her."
Anita's disappointment was eased somewhat by a swelling of pride. 'Oli had become the most cherished thing in her own life. And now 'Oli would be an important part of many other lives as well.
"Let's go!" George called. The searchers plungedinto the wild waters. The waves were so high, it would be all but impossible for them to signal to one another. They searched and searched. Precious time was passing, and hope was fading. Anita, waiting anxiously on shore, feared that this one chance for 'Oli's rescue would fail.
Suddenly, a turtle's head bobbed over the top of a wave! It was coming toward shore. Anita had never seen 'Oli venture so close to the shoreline, but hope surged within her.She waved and pointed and called out. Cheryl saw her signal and managed to catch a glimpse of the turtle. It was 'Oli. It was a miracle! 'Oli was making it easy for her rescuers, as if she understood that they had come to help her.
George also saw the turtle and swam toward her. He reached through the murky water and felt for the back of 'Oli's shell. Wrapping his strong arms around 'Oli, he felt the frightened turtle nestle into his chest. Without a struggle, they swam to shore.
The crowd on the beach cheered! Anita blinked back tears of joy. Cheryl and the others came scrambling back onto the beach, exhausted but exuberant.
Oli in the carrier
Not wanting to waste time, George carefully placed 'Oli in her carrier and thanked everyone on the beach. Anita tried to imagine what 'Oli must be feeling--out of the water, all these strangers, locked in a cage. But things were happening so quickly. George had placed 'Oli in his car and, with a final wave, they were off to Kahului airport and their flight to Honolulu.
George had promised to return in five days. Five days! It felt like an eternity to Anita. She tossed and turned in her bed all night. Nightmare visions swam before her eyes of a frightened little turtle, all alone, yearning for the water. Her worst fear was that she might never see 'Oli again.
And then came the good news. George called to report the veterinarian's findings. 'Oli would be fine! She had a large abscess on her neck, which the doctor had drained. He placed her on antibiotics, and he expected her to fully recover. Anita felt a relief beyond words.
But there was more thrilling news. Anita learned that 'Oli was probably six years old. Anita had been almost five when she saw those first baby turtles leave their nest. Now she was almost 11. Six years older! She was certain that 'Oli was one of the turtles she had seen march down to the ocean on that moonlit night. Her wish had come true!
Tingling with excitement, Anita waited on the beach, straining to see the first sign of an approaching car. It had been fiveagonizing days. Her mother and Cheryl stood with her. Cheryl smiled at Anita in her eagerness. "Not long now, Anita. 'Oli will soon be home."
At last George appeared, carrier in hand. Anita ran to greet her beloved turtle. 'Oli's neck was almost back to its normal size, but her shell looked so dry. Anita could hardly wait to see her returned to the ocean where she belonged. George helped Cheryl take 'Oli from the carrier. Anita and her mother waded into the water to watch the release.
Cheryl placed 'Oli gently on the waves and they all swam a little way alongside her. 'Oli was dazed. She looked around in a puzzled way, trying to get her bearings. Anita held her breath. Under water, her mother gave her hand an encouraging squeeze. The suspense was beginning to tie a knot in Anita's stomach, when all of a sudden--flippers prepared for takeoff--and whoosh! 'Oli jetted toward the open sea! Anita had never seen a turtle swim so fast. 'Oli was home! As they bobbed to the surface, they clapped and cheered, sharing in 'Oli's joy.
Feeling the familiar waters embrace her body and soothe away the dry scales that covered her skin, 'Oli said her own turtle prayer of thanks. Her frightening adventure was fading like a troubled dream. But she had seen that the world was a much bigger place than she could have imagined, and she felt the wonder of it. 'Oli sped out into the sunlit waters--farther out than she had ever been before. A new life awaited her.
Days passed. Anita returned again and again to the reef, but she could not find 'Oli. For the hundredth time, she asked her mother, "Do you think 'Oli is okay? How will we know if she really survived?"
"We just have to have faith, and hope for the best," her mother replied, knowing that this was not the assurance Anita was hoping to hear.
Anita called on her friends to help. Everyone on the beach was given a description of the little hawksbill turtle. Anita and Cheryl spent hours at a time in the water now, hoping to find 'Oli.
And then one morning, when summer was almost over, Anita woke with a new feeling of certainty. "This will be the day. Today I will find 'Oli!" She hurried down to the beach. Where to look first? Anita and her wonderful Auntie Maile looked in all the usual places, but no 'Oli. They swam farther out than they had ever been before. Their eyes searched the dip and rise of every wave, each nook and cranny of the reef below.
Suddenly, there was a little hawksbill, swimming not far away! It moved gracefully, sweeping back and forth around heads of coral and through schools of colorful fish. Could it possibly be--yes! It was 'Oli! Anita's heart burst with delight. 'Oli swam to her and seemed to say, "I have missed you, too, but I've been on a wonderful journey."
New Horizons
They swam together then, just as before, blissfully enjoying each other's company once more. Anita would have liked that morning to last forever. But almost as suddenly as she had appeared, 'Oli was off, beyond the reef, out into the waiting arms of the sea.
Anita watched her go. She had a quiet feeling that she might never see 'Oli again, that she had just come back to say good-bye. To her surprise, she felt a peaceful happiness for her friend, this remarkable turtle with a second chance at life. It was not a time for sadness. She and Auntie Maile smiled at each other, sharing the same thoughts.
And so that extraordinary summer came to an end. School started again and Anita made new friends. She was working on her third scrapbook by now and had become a pretty good photographer. Her ocean life collages were almost as beautiful as the reef itself, she sometimes believed.
Memories of 'Oli and their friendship stayed with Anita. She came to realize that 'Oli's story was also her own story. They had shared joys and pain, hope and healing.
Anita remembered that poor, sick turtle that had to be lifted from the sea. She herself had been sick with worry and fear. With a smile, she remembered the new 'Oli--gliding joyfully through sun-spangled waters with grace and beauty--all of her fears in the past.
Anita would learn to face the changes in her own life with courage and curiosity, grace and beauty -- special lessons learned from a very special turtle.
The End (Epilogue Below)
