Sapphire Siren

“Lillian, I don’t know if this will work, or if it’s a good idea. ”

” Finnegan is right Lillian you could get hurt”

I looked between them as Finnegan and Kipper gave their input. Finnegan‘s massive body looked small compared to the wrecked ship we were swimming near. While Kipper’s bright orange body made him stand out, he looked like a small sardine in size with his tail curled neatly as he floated next to Finnegan. I swam in circles, admiring my sapphire blue tail as I swam gracefully and thought about the issues we were facing.

If we want to get the word out about what’s happening down here. Somebody has to do it.

“Lillian, this is a great risk, humans don’t even like sharks, even less when they discover things they don’t understand. Sometimes their curiosity has deadly consequences.” Shelbi, an elderly sea turtle, swam near the bottom of the shipwreck, adding her concern and opinion to the mix of thoughts that swirled in my head.

“It’s becoming clear that humans like little of the sea," I said sadly as I looked at my struggling friends.

” I’m coming with you then, to protect you.“ Finnegan said proudly and firmly

” That’s not a good idea, it’s too close to where you lost Tetra“ I quietly mentioned Finnegan's mate who we lost earlier this year to shark finning from the humans.

“Your right,“ he said sadly, swimming around the ship. His massive dorsal fin made me admire my own in a reflective piece of metal lost by the ship in front of us.

“I’ll leave soon, I will talk to the human man who frequents the beach and maybe, just maybe, he will help us.” I sighed looking at Kipper who was happily swimming with his tail wrapped around something.

” Kipper that won’t hide you from things that want to eat you “I wanted to laugh but inside I was angry. I took the plastic-handled cloth tipped human instrument from him and exchanged it for a small piece of broken coral.

“That will do nicely,“ I said tucking the tool inside a shell to carry it with me along with a plastic bag with netting in it that Shelbi got tangled in last week thinking she was chasing a tasty jellyfish dinner.

I smiled at my friends giving him each a hug and Finnegan an extra squishy hug.

“ Remember Lillian, if you have too you are half-shark and siren you have plenty of options to use if you should find yourself in trouble.“

“ I hope I don’t have to, but thank you.” I smiled before turning and swimming further toward the beachy shores that a human frequented often. He seemed to care and seemed nice. Frequently picking up trash and studying the starfish. I just hope he can help.

As I swam, I noticed I was getting close when I had to dodge a surfer quickly. I noticed the bright blue jacket before anything; he was near his favorite tide pool. I watched and waited as the beach and shore cleared. As usual, he stayed as the beach emptied. Dipping containers in the water, taking photos, making notes, and collecting shells.

I popped my head above the water behind some rocks and watched as he scribbled in a blue notebook. Returning to the water, I scanned the seafloor. A beautiful red and orange conch shell caught my eyes, and I snatched it ensuring it was empty before returning to the surface. As I broke the surface of the water I unintentionally startled the man, I meant to speak to. I panicked and began singing. I watched him calm down as he stood up brushing sand off his backside. Stopping my son was risky but necessary, didn’t want him to drown just listen for a few minutes.

“What, are you?” He asked, bewildered.

I smirked “Nothing you’ve ever heard of.” I turned to look around to see if anyone was watching, then offered him a view of my dorsal fin.

“Are you, are you a shark girl.“

I have heard a lot of guesses over the years as, sea monster, deformed mermaid, small shark, but shark girl, that was a new one. I laughed aloud.

“What I am isn’t as important as why I’m here risking everything to talk to you. Though If it prevents you from saying shark girl again I will tell you.

“I’m 1/2 shark half siren, or as you humans like to say a mermaid, shark maid, whatever you call it, just not shark girl." I sid firmly, but still slightly amused.

“Why do you want to talk to me? I’m just a college freshman with no friends trying to get a science scholarship.”

"You seem to love and admire the ocean, and funnily enough, friends are why I’m here. Mine need help. Human help. That and for humans to quit being heartless selfish monsters.” I spat out, thinking of Finnegan's mate Tetra.

“We aren’t all monsters.” He said, fiddling with his camera.

“How can I help your friends ?” He asked curiously, sitting on the edge of the shore.

I paused, watching his body language. Hesitantly, I swam closer to shore. Tossing the bag, net, and cloth-tipped contraption I had taken from Kipper.

“Those are yours“

“I don’t litter“

I sighed

“Okay fine, those are human trash items in our beautiful water, you see that bag that almost cost Shelbi her life. She thought it was a jellyfish dinner chased it for almost a mile then got tangled in it she sunk into a coral reef and was there for five days, and that little thing, Kipper tried to camouflage himself with it, he wouldn’t have made it.”

“So trash is why you’re here?“

I got angry as he asked. I reminded myself his willingness to talk and not want to pluck me out of the water to run tests was more important than my anger.

“That and other things, our oceans are dying, coral, whales, turtles. They’ll all die off, gone forever if you don’t stop dumping in our homes.”

He mumbled something, but I didn’t hear it as I interjected.

“That's not all, what monsters do you have here? Did you know that when you catch a shark and cut off its fins, you hurt it? They sink to the bottom of the ocean and die of starvation and suffocation. They can’t move. I felt tears escape my eyes for the first time in my life. Underwater we can’t feel them. Looking up, I noticed the man’s eyes filled with tears as well.

“I did but I - I would never do anything like that“

“No, Perhaps not, but you can help stop it. “I said firmly

Spread the word. I can bring you heaps of trash to prove a point. Send divers in I’ll show them the shark graveyard in the South China Sea and parts of the Pacific.“

“ I’m not sure what I can do, but I will try my best. Please understand that some of us are trying to help.“ he said sadly as he gathered his notebook and belongings.

” What’s your name? “ I asked as he finished packing

“Alarick, yours?”

” Lillian. This is for you, as a thank you for not screaming at the sight of me and listening. I tossed the conch shell toward the shore gently. I’ll visit again soon, please spread the word, help us. We are dying out there.“ I said gesturing to the bag and garbage on the shore near his things.

“I‘ll do my best Lillian. I’ll do my best. “Watching as he walked away, I swam back to my home hoping Alarick would keep his word and soon other humans would also care and help prevent the warming, polluting, and murder that had slowly graced our oceans.

Swimming back almost a year later to check up with Alarick I got snacky.

Seeing a seal near the surface I was excited, seals were tasty and easy to catch. I tried to eat kelps and seaweed as much as possible but my half-shark nature meant I needed to survive. I always shared leftovers with Finnegan but he was back at home. I grabbed ahold of the seal, suddenly startled by a human shriek. I let go of what I knew to be a leg and came to the surface. A woman scrambled for her board floating near her.

Gasping, I swam closer to her.

“I’m so sorry, I thought you were a seal, you’re far from land, you shouldn’t swim out here alone you know?“

Blinking water off her face, the girl looked at me, shocked and silent.

” I got pulled out in waves. I barely kept ahold of my board. How are you out here?” I grinned, looking at her.

“My little secret, I've got to go I’m meeting a friend. Do you need help back?” I asked

“Can you do that?” she asked hesitantly

"Sure can,” I said, diving below the water as I began pushing her board toward the shore.

I let go and swam away quickly; I needed to be careful of human interaction, and that was a complete accident. Swimming toward the same rocks as always, I spotted Alaric’s before he saw me.

“Lillian, I have glorious news !"

"Are people listening?”

“They are yes! Hopefully, those who are will convince others to care. Look!” in his hands he held a paper product with words across it. On the front was a large shipping vessel, with people holding signs aboard. Shark fins with prohibition circle around them on an enormous banner. Alarick carefully folded that paper under his arm then holding up the next, plastic bag bans sweep the nation, what’s next. Young scientists share their findings of pollution and ocean warming. Alarick stood smiling, with others clutching his notebook on the cover of the last one.

I smiled. “It’s a start and we couldn’t have done it without you. Thank you Alarick.

“Lillian, will I ever see you again?”

I thought about it for a moment.

” How about twice a year? “I offered thinking that was a good amount of time.

” I’ll never give up trying to help you get it clean in there.” he said gesturing to the ocean.

“We appreciate that more than you know. “I quickly hid behind rocks as a woman approached on the beach.

“Lillian wait! It’s ok, she’s safe.”

I slowly swam into the cove closer. I noticed she looked familiar. The woman from earlier.

I watched curiously.

“She’s my wife Lillian. We met at an ocean conservation meeting last year, things progressed rather quickly”

“You can say that,“ the woman added, rubbing her stomach.

I caught on quickly. You’re having a little one. I smiled.

”Raise them right, yes? To respect the earth and oceans that hold so many living things within it.” I said, admiring them on the beach.

” Of course and Lillian, we hope you don’t mind, but her name is going to be Lilian Shelbi in honor of you and your friends in the deep blue sea.

A helicopter overhead drowned out my voice as it cracked when I said It was beautiful.

” Attention in the cove, there is a shark in the water we are advising you leave the area.”

I snickered, shark huh. I flipped my tail dipping my head below the water swimming just to the shoreline in the shallowest part of the water.

“Thank you both and blessings to you and your future little one.” I splashed water as the helicopter tracked me from above, swimming off quickly I was happy to tell Finnegan, Kipper, Shelbi, and all our sea friends that the humans were listening and someday soon we won’t have to see bags, nets, coral or our loved ones die.”

If you want to be a helpful human here's more information on how!

https://vocal.media/earth/10-ways-i-ve-gone-green-and-you-can-too

https://act.oceana.org/page/82222/action/1?ea.tracking.id=redirect

https://action.hsi.org/page/27745/petition/1?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVX8_zGpj9O4XRtD2hvSknOH29uxZLOvQF2q_m4tTxlfu3pUpwVFxF4aAqUMEALw_wcB

https://www.opsociety.org/take-action/advocacy-actions/sharks-rays/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVXHi77dncLHvA7IoFyDXJyC6Dwj7wWoUlnIxNAspJ_MmoYsvME-fyAaAlZOEALw_wcB

https://www.earthday.org/campaign/end-plastic-pollution/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVVhhc_w_CzMgwqnVj_T-1gLOE0w2m7T4RHjFVqoJM2Qb3OefePdCX0aAsiTEALw_wcB

https://www.plasticpollutioncoalition.org/

https://www.worldanimalprotection.us/news/ghost-gear-still-plaguing-ocean-wildlife-big-business-making-improvements?gclid=Cj0KCQjwl_SHBhCQARIsAFIFRVWj5FdwjHeYUuBZIV-QCSlfmhDSZfpIA4631SN5n6xVuSwXQFiUZHwaAv9lEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds