Daring Dolphin Rescue (OceanX Book 3)

By Kate B. Jerome

A Simon & Schuster eBook. Simon & Schuster has a great book for every reader.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Kids
• Release date: Nov 28, 2023
• ISBN: 9781681889115

Kate B. Jerome

Kate Jerome is an award-winning author who has written more than 100 science books for children. A lifelong science literacy proponent with a special interest in ocean conservation, she is a Director Emeritus of the South Carolina Aquarium and an inaugural alum of the Stanford Distinguished Careers Institute.

Book preview

Oceanx Adventures: Daring Dolphin Rescue, by Kate Jerome. Includes 8 full-color pages of photos and OceanX facts. Perry’s Sea Watch.Oceanx Adventures: Daring Dolphin Rescue, by Kate Jerome. Earthaware Kids.

To my brothers, Gary, Dan, and Jim—and all of our wonderful childhood adventures!

Welcome aboard! You’re about to join Marena Montoya on an incredible adventure with OceanX!

OceanX’s scientists, marine biologists, and filmmakers use cutting-edge technology to explore the ocean and share their discoveries with the world! Its fantastic ship, OceanXplorer, brings two submersibles, a helicopter, science labs, and a film studio to incredible locations to reveal creatures and habitats that have never been seen before.

You can find amazing OceanX videos, photos, and fascinating information about the world under the sea at OceanX.org

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CHAPTER ONE

A SURPRISING DECISION

Mrs. Diaz burst into the aquarium’s education lab.

Marena! There you are! she exclaimed.

I looked up from my laptop in surprise. Normally, I was the only one working in the lab this late in the afternoon.

Okay. Maybe working doesn’t really describe what I do. I’m usually trying to write my next article for the aquarium newsletter, so I mostly just stare at my laptop screen, hoping for inspiration. But being in the lab makes me feel more official. Maybe smarter, too?

Congratulations! Mrs. Diaz said with a wide smile. We’re all so proud of you!

As the communication director for the aquarium, Mrs. Diaz always sounds upbeat. But she was definitely more enthusiastic than usual.

Thanks! I automatically replied.

Ummm… for WHAT?

My inner voice—which sometimes speaks to me in my head before I say anything out loud—had a good point. I had no idea what Mrs. Diaz was talking about.

This is the first time we’ve had an intern win such a big award, Mrs. Diaz said.

I stared at her, still not understanding.

Then it came to me.

Wait. You mean I got the sea mammal grant? I asked.

This can’t be true!

Yes! Mrs. Diaz answered, grinning at me as I jumped up from my chair.

Aisha is not going to believe this!

Wait. Of course she is. My BFF was the one who had pushed me to apply for the grant more than a month ago. The National Aquarium Association wanted a kid’s point of view on ocean issues. It was offering a grant for junior science reporters, like me, to help. The grant winner would get money to study marine mammals up close and personal in their wild habitats. Then the lucky winner would get to post about the experience on the National Aquarium Association’s website for the whole world to see!

You could absolutely win it, Aisha had boldly predicted when she first heard about it.

At the time, I had laughed at that idea.

No way, I’d said. Why would you even think I have a chance?

It’s simple, Marena, she’d answered. You ask the best questions.

Aisha’s like that. She believes everyone has a superpower, and she dreams big. Sometimes too big. But I’m trying to be more like her, so I applied for the grant. It took me a while to write the application essay. At the time, I wondered if I was wasting my time.

I snapped back to the present, looking at Mrs. Diaz with growing excitement. She was finishing a sentence.

… so, you’ll meet up with him and get right to work.

What? Oh, no.

I have this habit of zoning out on conversations. I don’t really mean to do it. But sometimes it just happens. And when I miss important things that are said to me… well, it can get tricky.

Just admit it.

Umm, Mrs. Diaz, I said. I’m sorry. I got so excited about the news that I didn’t hear all that you were saying to me. Could you repeat that last part?

You mean the part about how you and Samuel will be working together? she asked.

Yes. That part, for sure, I answered.

Who’s Samuel?

"Well, sharing the grant is a bit unusual, Mrs. Diaz said. But since both of your essays were so wonderful, I think the Association is right to predict that you’ll make a great team."

But I don’t know… a Samuel, I said, still confused.

Of course you don’t, Marena, Mrs. Diaz said. At least not yet. Were you really not listening at all? He lives in Monterey, California.

You mean like the whole other side of the country? On the West Coast? I asked.

Mrs. Diaz gave me a look. It reminded me of how my older brother, Lucas, looked at me when he thought I was being dense about something. He usually said, Seriously? after that look.

At least Mrs. Diaz didn’t say that.

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Told ya! Aisha said as she hugged me.

Yeah. You did, I agreed, hugging her back.

I was glad Aisha had come over. I really wanted to talk to her about this co-winner thing. And there wasn’t much time.