Auby the Blue Turtle

Auby’s mummy had told him all about the sea creatures that lived beyond the beach.
There were bright sunfish that shimmered like sunlight in the water, white-sided
dolphins that danced through the waves, smart sea lions that barked and played,
and huge whales that moved like gentle floating islands in the deep sea.

She also warned him about the more dangerous creatures—poisonous puffer fish
that puffed up like balloons, scary white sharks with sharp teeth, and sneaky manta
rays that glided silently through the water.

She told him how seaweed forests and coral reefs provided food and shelter for so
many creatures. She described pretty seahorses that swayed like tiny dancers, and
funny clownfish that peeked in and out of thick seaweed as if they were playing hide-
and-seek.

But the one thing Auby didn’t understand was why he was blue… and she was not.

When he had first entered the sea, he only saw green and brown baby turtles, which
he thought was very strange indeed.

Auby knew a little about his family. His mummy had told him that his daddy was a
large, strong turtle who hunted for food far out in the ocean. His grandad once ruled
the orange coral reef, and his nanna looked after all the baby sea life, gently reading
them stories as they drifted to sleep.

Peekay the prawn, it turned out, also came from a big family. But he was very different from his brothers and sisters. They called him “Odd Bod” because he had wonky antennae, and six of his legs were different sizes… while the other four didn’t seem to do much at all.

Forna told Auby that her own family had once been caught in a fishing net. She had
managed to escape, and that was when she met Peekay. She had fallen right onto
him as she dropped from the net and accidentally crushed his antennae.

“We’ve been best friends ever since!” Peekay said proudly, trying to hug Forna with
his funny little legs.

“We’re going to take you to the orange coral reef where we live,” Forna told Auby.

“You can live there with us if you like.”

 

Auby’s eyes widened with excitement. He couldn’t wait to see the orange coral reef.