More boats began appearing in the distance. Someone on shore had already heard the emergency call. The captain groaned when he saw them. “Great. An audience.” Elena looked toward the approaching boats. “Forget them. We get Nathan back first. Let everyone else tell stories later.”
The whales moved farther into open water. “They’re getting away from the reef,” an officer said. “Should we cut them off?” The captain shook his head. “No. We follow.” The coastguard boat moved beside them as both vessels tracked the pod across the rolling sea.