Out on the Whale Watch: How Little Words Work

The Whale Watch

1Imani had waited all summer for this trip. She had packed binoculars, a sketch notebook, and two sharp pencils. At dawn, she and Uncle Rafael stepped aboard the Sea Lark, a small white boat with a striped flag. The captain handed out orange life jackets, and Imani zipped hers to her chin. "Whale watching takes patience," the captain said. "Keep your eyes on the water, and call out if you spot something."

2The boat chugged past the rocky point and into the open ocean. The wind felt chilly, so Imani tugged her hood over her ears. For a long time, she saw only gray waves. She tried hard to stay alert, but her eyes began to droop. Then a puff of mist shot up from the water. "Hey!" she shouted, pointing at the spot. "Something is breathing out there!" Everyone hurried to her side of the boat.

3The mist came from a humpback whale. Uncle Rafael explained that whales breathe air through openings on top of their heads called blowholes. When a whale breathes out, a cloud of mist rises into the air. Its dark, shiny back rolled slowly above the waves. Imani counted three more spouts before the whale slipped beneath the surface.

4Imani waited and waited. The water stayed calm and flat. "Oh, maybe it swam away," she said quietly. Suddenly, the whale burst out of the water! Its huge body twisted in the air, and it landed with a giant splash. Cold spray drifted across the deck. "Brr!" squealed Imani. "Wow!" cried Uncle Rafael, wiping his glasses. Imani laughed because his face was dripping wet.

5On the ride back to the harbor, Imani sketched the whale in her notebook. She drew its long flippers and its bumpy head. Around the tail, she added tiny drops of spray. She was tired, yet she could not stop smiling. "Can we come again next summer or in the fall?" she asked. Uncle Rafael grinned. "Of course," he said. "I would not miss it for anything."