Horizon Travelers

By Ron Espinosa

Horizon Travelers is an adventurous story about a young whale and his first journey to Alaska. The Humpbacks travel to Alaska to feed and nourish themselves and return to the Hawaiian islands to birth their young. One spring day off the shores of Lahaina, a newborn is brought into his new world. He must quickly learn the responsibilities of a Humpback whale. While in Hawaii he makes several friends, and even has an encounter with a friendly human. He is warned by his parents of the potential dangers of sharks, Orca (killer whales), and the deadly harpoon! Eventually he will meet his future wife; however, it is not easy. Enjoy Horizon Travelers as you swim along with Howie and experience the challenges he must face in this action packed and epic tale.

• Language: English
• Publisher: AuthorHouse
• Release date: Jan 25, 2011
• ISBN: 9781456717087

Book preview

© 2011 Ron Espinosa. All rights reserved.

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any means without the written permission of the author.

First published by AuthorHouse 1/19/2011

ISBN: 978-1-4567-1707-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4567-1708-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2010918979

Printed in the United States of America

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models,

and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

This book is printed on acid-free paper.

Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any Web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Table of Contents

1. We’re Back!

2. Howie Meets Marina

3. Preparing For The Long Swim

4. Alaska

5. A Lost Love

6. The Last Days In Alaska

7. Back To The Tropics

8. A Promise In Paradise

This is dedicated to my lovely wife Diane and beautiful children Kaena and Kapri!

Chapter 1

We’re Back!

The people of Hawaii greet several hundred friends year after year. They are visitors from the far north, over the horizon. These travelers are watched in wonder and awe. Today is an important day. A newborn whale will be greeted by his proud parents and by the friendly waters of the Hawaiian archipelago. This newborn whale shall grow strong, and wise, and will eventually lead a nation of the mighty humpback over the horizon in his lifetime. It is a time to learn of this future leader, the leader of the Horizon Travelers.

Hey look at the whales out there! a little girl shouts with excitement. Her brother looks out towards the ocean. Hey yea! I wonder where they’ve been? Marina replies. They have been in Alaska. Oh yeah? How come they go there? It’s so cold. Sean asks. Because that’s where they go to eat silly? Marina retorts. Shoot! That sure is a long way to go to eat. I’m glad we don’t have to go to Alaska when we get hungry Sean responds. While the children quietly gaze out into the ocean, several Lahaina tourists stare in awe at the newly arrived humpback whales. The people witness a fantastic, unrehearsed show. The humpbacks are true acrobats that move through the water with grace. They lunge high from the ocean, demonstrating their power, a power unmatched by any other mammal on earth. Somersaulting, twirling, breaching, and vertical dives show off their ever prominent fluke that quickly catches the eye and attention of those along the shoreline. The humpbacks pectorals flap as if to wave at each tourist. The pectorals, like wings, allow them to propel like a mammoth bird suspended in water.

An observer suddenly exclaims, Ahhh, look at the blow! It’s as though they are telling us we are back to share with you our aloha. Children and adults alike will enjoy these marvelous mammals over the next four months. Observers usually sit for hours watching. How can they help it? A wonder of life, these humpback whales, they will visit Hawaii for a few months, but will continue to return for centuries to come.

After minutes of contemplation, Sean asks Marina, So how come they always come back every year? In an exasperated tone Marina states, For vacation dummy! Looking at Marina, Sean wonders, How come you know all this stuff about whales? With a knowing smile, Marina replies, A little whale once told me.

As the two children continue to gaze out towards the horizon, a mother humpback is birthing a calf. Her blows above the water are expelled with tremendous force while the calf lies in her stomach, squirming for freedom. Oh no! What’s happening to me, what’s happening to me? I’m getting all squished! the baby bellows.

Suddenly, a baby whale is cast into a brilliant turquoise blue ocean with glistening bubbles surrounding him. The calf is overwhelmed by the liquid world into which he is born. The sun shines brightly into his eyes as he experiences a vast array of colors. The coral glows brightly, highlighting their oceanic reds, yellows, and browns. The vegetation swishes by his skin, giving him a sense of new and unusual life. Tiny flickering fish swim past, adding to the youngster’s rapidly growing curiosity. A sea turtle, moving past, stops to welcome the newborn into his new world. After the turtle moves away, the bewildered baby asks, in a childlike voice, Where am I? He frantically begins to swim about. A rich, soft, nurturing voice calls out, stay close to me little one. Lehua, the newborn’s mother, extends her long pectoral to bring her son near. The newborn, clumsily propels away, only to bump into his father. Alexander calmly says, Listen to your mother, son. You must always travel close for protection. With an unsure look, the youngster hurries to his mother’s side. Lehua gently rubs her face against her son to reassure him that he is safe in his newfound environment. He is comforted by her gentle touch, which instills a sense of trust and security.

As the three whales swim away, the baby whale is curious about his surroundings and asks one of the millions of questions that race through his mind.