Read Online The Pacific Giants by Jean Flitcroft - Free Book Online Page B

temperature.
    Vanessa waited.
    â€œThe tag that Dr. Mitchell uses in his research is bullet-shaped and silver-colored. It’s attached to a claw that embeds into the whale muscle,” Lee explained mechanically.
    â€œOh, you mean the tag has come off!” Vanessa exclaimed, understanding at last. “So that’s what we’re looking for, rather than the whale herself?”
    Lee nodded. They searched for at least twenty minutes before they found it. Vanessa was delighted to be the one to spot it first. It was partly buried in the sand, and she knelt down and began to dig with her hands.
    â€œWait, Vanessa!” Lee said, running to her side. She looked as if she was about to say something more but stopped herself.
    The tag was exactly as Lee had described it:bullet-shaped and silver. The other end was attached to something that at first glance might have been a flat rock. It was about the size of a textbook, three inches thick, gray on the outside and a dirty white color inside. Vanessa didn’t know what to make of it.
    Lee crouched down beside Vanessa and stroked it gently with her hand. She had a strange look on her face.
    â€œIt’s part of Ziggy’s dorsal fin,” she said sadly.
    Vanessa looked in horror at the piece of fin and then at Lee.
    â€œYou mean … ?” she said uncertainly, struggling to understand.
    â€œShe’s dead,” Lee said gently. “They killed her and cut off the tag. But this time the tag washed up and we got the signal back.”
    Vanessa covered her face. She pressed the palms of her hands into her eyes and just about managed to turn away as a wave of nausea rose in her throat. She felt Lee’s hand on her back.
    â€œI’m so sorry, Vanessa,” Lee said over and over.
    â€œNot your fault,” Vanessa said through her tears. “You’re trying to stop them.”
    â€œNo, but I shouldn’t have let you see this. Ishouldn’t have brought you along. That’s why I haven’t talked to you about it—I didn’t want to upset you.”
    â€œHow do they kill the whales, these illegal hunters?” Vanessa demanded.
    Lee didn’t reply.
    Vanessa rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes and looked at Lee.
    â€œTell me, Lee. It’s horrible, but I want to know.” Lee took Vanessa’s hand.
    â€œOK,” she said gently. She paused, trying to choose her words. “They harpoon them. They shoot giant arrows into the whales, some of which have explosives in the tips.” Lee watched Vanessa’s face, hating the pain she was inflicting.
    â€œIt can take a long time, but when the whale loses enough blood, it dies.”
    â€œWhy?” wailed Vanessa, though she knew why. Lee had already told her there was big money in whale meat.
    â€œWe should go,” Lee said. She pointed at the piece of dorsal fin. “Do you want to carry it, Vanessa?”
    Vanessa nodded. They walked back along the beach to the tender, Vanessa cradling what was left of Ziggy’s fin in her arms.

CHAPTER 19
    Over the years, skeptics have tried to attribute sightings of the sea monster to other known animals such as humpback whales, conger eels, elephant seals, and even basking sharks. However, none of these animals fit the eyewitnesses’ descriptions.
    True to his promise, Ronan finally rang back.
    â€œOgopogo!” he yelled down the line without any introduction.
    Vanessa’s heart skipped.
    â€œSo Mum did have a file,” she whispered as loudlyas she could. “Open it. Read the first line to me.”
    â€œWhy are you whispering, Vanessa?”
    â€œDon’t want to wake Lee. She’s in the room next door and it’s two in the morning here.”
    Ronan chortled. “Sorry, V, I forgot. Bad timing must run in the genes.”
    â€œDoesn’t matter. Just tell me, Ro.”
    â€œHe’s the most famous water monster in Canada and lives in British