Sammy and Ilna, you make every day a treasure. Love you guys.

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Better Than Pirate Treasure

Angie and DJ were excited for the afternoon's activity as they gathered their snorkeling gear and headed to the backyard, where the ocean waited.

"Are we ready for an adventure?" Steve asked, donning his snorkel mask and pushing it up onto his forehead.

Angie jumped up and down. "Very very ready! I can't wait to see the fish and maybe some turtles!"

DJ held his goggles up. "Me too. Maybe we'll even discover something new, like last time when we saw all the blue tangs."

Catherine smiled as she applied sunscreen to their faces. "Safety first for my favorite explorers."

With their adventurous spirit in high gear, the kids followed Steve and Catherine to the water's edge. They were joined by Cammie, who happily frolicked in the tideline.

As they plunged into the water, the kids pointed at the vibrant fish swimming around them. They dove, watched schools of fish, and discovered colorful shells. Cammie paddled alongside them, mirroring their excitement. After a few minutes, the dog, who had caught her ball with Steve numerous times, was led back to the deck, where she retreated to her casa under her rechargeable fan for a nap.

A half hour of snorkeling had the whole family taking a break on a nearby surface rock in the shallows. As soon as they settled down, a chirping sound filled their ears.

"Dolphins!" DJ exclaimed, pointing towards the horizon. "Look!"

Sure enough, a playful baby dolphin, accompanied by its mother, was approaching them, leaping gracefully out of the water.

Angie's eyes lit up with delight. "Mommy, Daddy! Dolphins!"

The baby dolphin swam closer, its eyes curious at the humans. Steve and Catherine exchanged glances, captivated by a sight that never got old.

"Hey there, buddy," Steve greeted the dolphin, his voice low and even.

Catherine smiled and extended a hand towards the baby dolphin who was incredibly close. "Aren't you beautiful?"

To their surprise, the little dolphin responded, emitting a series of delightful chirps and clicking sounds.

DJ's eyes widened. "He's so friendly! Wait, is it a boy or a girl?"

Steve squinted as the baby flipped and exposed its underside. "It's a boy. Do you see the two slits that look like an exclamation point? That means our friend is male."

"Cool." DJ as always was not surprised, but impressed by his father's knowledge.

"Hi dolphin," Angie waved. "I'm Angie and that's DJ and Mommy and Daddy. Cammie's on the deck. We love dolphins!"

The dolphin's mother remained close by, allowing her curious offspring to interact with the humans. The family watched in amazement as the baby performed flips and twirls, seemingly eager to engage its newfound friends.

Catherine turned to Steve, her eyes shining at the kids' excitement. "You know what this means, right? We've just encountered the friendliest baby dolphin in Hawaii."

Steve grinned. "I think you're right."

As the kids continued their interactions with the baby dolphin, they couldn't help but feel the connection to the ocean and its inhabitants.

The family watched as the little dolphin continued its playful acrobatics in the water. The dolphin's mother protectively remained close, keeping a watchful eye on her baby.

Steve smiled at Catherine when Angie said, "It's like a Disney movie!"

She nodded, her eyes shining. "It's magical, baby girl. Treasure this moment and make the most of it."

Angie, unable to contain her excitement, squealed. "Can I touch him, Mommy? Please?"

Catherine smiled. "If Daddy holds you. And remember to be gentle."

Angie carefully reached out and grazed the dolphin's skin, eliciting a delighted chirp from the baby dolphin. "He's very smooth," she said from Steve's embrace where he'd positioned himself between his daughter and the little creature so only her hand was close enough to touch its back.

DJ, observing the interaction, regarded his parents with curiosity. "Do you think they understand us, Daddy?"

Steve's eyes never left the curious and intelligent creatures. "They might, buddy. Dolphins are highly intelligent and it's possible they can sense our intentions. I think they understand we're not a threat."

DJ's face lit up with excitement. "If they can understand us, maybe they can communicate with us too."

Angie beamed. "Ask the baby dolphin if it wants something."

Steve raised an eyebrow but the look on his daughter's face had him asking, "Hey there, little buddy. Is there something you need?"

The baby dolphin's eyes seemed to meet Steve's, as if trying to convey a message. It chirped and clicked, before swimming in a circular motion.

DJ's eyes widened. "Did you see that, Daddy? It's pointing towards the open water."

Angie squealed, "Do you think they want us to follow them?"

DJ joined in with enthusiasm. "Maybe they need our help, Daddy. Can we follow them and see where they take us?"

Catherine looked at Steve, a mixture of excitement and concern in her eyes. "What do you think?"

Steve took a deep breath, ready to embrace the unknown. "Let's do it. There's the cave entrance right around the north edge. We can stop there and then head back."

Angie clapped her hands, her eyes shining with anticipation. "We're going on an adventure!"

With Catherine leading the way, they ventured further out to sea, following the dolphins' graceful path.

As they swam, Angie couldn't help but express her excitement. "It really feels like we're in a movie, Mommy."

Catherine smiled. "Just remember to stick close to me and Daddy."

DJ swam alongside Steve. "Daddy, do you think the dolphins are leading us to something important?"

Steve scanned the horizon, his eyes fixed on the dolphins ahead. "Maybe they have a purpose for bringing us here."

Several minutes passed as they followed their guides, the kids' anticipation growing palpable.

Suddenly, the dolphins slowed down and the family did the same; they'd reached a vibrant coral reef.

Catherine's voice was hushed. She and Steve had snorkeled out to the reef before but it had been awhile. "It really is breathtaking."

Steve nodded, his gaze fixed on the colorful sea life before them.

"It's like finding a hidden treasure, Mommy," DJ said, awed.

They swam closer to the reef, marveling at the array of colorful fish, coral, and unseen marine life.

"Stay with us," Steve instructed the kids. "The coral is sharp if you get pushed against it."

Angie, ever inquisitive, pointed. "Look Daddy, there's a cave! Maybe there's pirate treasure!"

"And that's a no, before you ask," Catherine said with a grin. "No exploring underwater caves."

"Mommy's right," Steve agreed. "But look there, what do you see?"

They noticed markings on the walls around the entrance – a series of ancient symbols and drawings etched into the rock surface.

DJ pointed at one of the markings. "Petroglyphs!"

Catherine grinned at her husband and they held a silent conversation. "Do you think it's a clue about why the dolphins brought us here?"

"There's only one way to find out. Let's decipher the message and see if it unlocks the secrets." Steve returned her smile.

They gathered around the markings, examining the symbols. Angie, looking at her parents, chimed in with her perspective. "Maybe the dolphins want us to read these."

DJ smiled, impressed by his sister's idea. "You might be right. It could be a message of how to help ocean life."

As the kids came up with more theories, a voice echoed from behind them - the chirping and clicking of the baby dolphin.

Steve turned towards the dolphins, as Angie said, "The dolphins are trying to talk to us!"

Steve and Catherine grinned and led the kids in decoding the petroglyphs.

"There's some of people!" Angie pointed out happily.

"That's right, human figures are a popular subject matter for Hawaiian petroglyphs," Catherine explained.

"We learned about them in social studies," DJ said. "They usually represent men in a triangle shape with strong shoulders and arms."

"Like Daddy." Angie smiled at her father who was holding her piggyback as he tread water.

"Look, those guys have spears, fishing poles, and paddles," her brother said.

"There's one on a surfboard!" Angie leaned forward. "And they're being nice to the ocean." She indicated a canoe. "I think the dolphins wanted us to see these and thank us for being nice to the ocean."

"I think you're right," DJ agreed.

"Great job you two," Catherine said. "And we've been out for an hour, let's get back to shore."

"You can tell Uncle Chin and Auntie Kono what you learned," Steve added, never letting on that he and Catherine had seen the petroglyphs many times in the past. He'd taken her to see them when she'd first visited after his return to the island.

The kids nodded excitedly. "And Kamekona and Mamo. They'll all think it's super cool that we got to see these 'cause the dolphins know we're nice to the ocean," DJ said. The siblings' eyes met, each reflecting a sense of responsibility and determination.

"We'll always be nice to the ocean," Angie addressed the dolphins who were frolicking nearby. "We promise."

/

Back on land, as Angie explained the adventure to Cammie, DJ smiled at Steve. "That was way cooler than finding pirate treasure."

Catherine wrapped an arm around him, kissing his temple. "Yes, it was. And the adventure doesn't end here."

"Mommy's right," Steve added. "It's a legacy we'll continue by respecting the ocean and the island."

The kids carried their snorkel masks while he held their flippers and started towards the house.

Catherine wrapped an arm around Steve's waist as they walked. "They'll remember today forever."

DJ, overhearing his parents' conversation, looked back with an earnest expression. "We promise, we'll always protect the island and the ocean."

Angie, falling in step with her brother, nodded. "And we'll tell everybody about the dolphins showing us the petro-gifs so they know how special the ocean is." The six year old stifled a yawn.

Steve and Catheirne shared a smile. There were more adventures ahead, but for today, it was time to get the kids to showered off and fed. "Okay, explorers, let's get you cleaned up," she said. "It's dinner time."

"How about we grill for dinner?" Steve suggested. "Get showered while I wash Cammie off and we can read that new dolphin book for storytime after dinner."

"The one withTahi, the baby dolphin!" Angie beamed as they stepped inside and moved towards the staircase. Halfway there she turned. "Daddy?"

"What, baby girl?"

"Do you think the baby dolphin and his mommy will visit us again?"

"I don't know, maybe." Steve grinned at Catherine.

"Because we're gonna read a story about baby dolphins, if they come back, I'm gonna tell them a story about baby humans. I think they'll like that very very much." She smiled happily and bounced her way upstairs behind DJ.

Shaking his head and leaning down to kiss his wife's temple, he chuckled at their daughter's idea and called, "I'm sure they will."

# End thanks for reading

The book mentioned is:
Tahi: A Baby Dolphin's Story by Kathleen Duey

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