Metanoia

Chapter 18

It has been a year since the kidnapping incident with Ozzy, which actually made it in the news. I have finished my first year of university along with my amazing friends. Today is actually a special day; we are having a big function happing at the clinic today.

Sarah, Colton, Maggie, and I have been preparing for today's guests that we are holding at the beach. We are doing an awareness event for marine species and Dr Thomas has asked me to give a speech and lead the event. I am so nervous that my palms are sweating, "Stop worrying you're going to do amazing!",Sarah tells me enthusiastically.

I give her a tight smile;she rolls her eyes and leads me to the rest of the 'Jazz hand friends'. Yes it has been a year and I still call them that!
I sit with them, going over my speech and making sure that everything makes sense and that I don't have too much or too little information.

I help out a bit more making sure everything is in place. Sarah ensures me that everything is perfect and chat about different topics to try and get my mind off things. I look around and appreciate everything around me, I look at Sarah and Colton and smile, "I never thanked you guys for the days that we couldn't find Ozzy. You guys are two of the most amazing people I've met in my life and I couldn't have asked for better friends, so I just wanted to say thank you guys for everything.", I say with tears brimming my eyes. "Of course Arddie we will always be here for you!", Sarah says hugging me. "Always.", Colton says giving me a hug afterwards.

The guest started showing up and from what I can see there are about an estimate of two hundred people here. Now my nerves are going off the radar, Sarah gives me a reassuring look which does little to calm my nerves.After about an hour every one starts to settle, and Dr Thomas heads to the stand where the microphone was placed. He gives a small introductory speech and thanks everyone for coming, after that he announces that I will be giving a speech and askes for me to make my way to the stand.

I tense, Sarah gives me a hug and wishes me luck while the rest of my friends give me encouraging smiles. I carefully make my way to the stand and thank Dr Thomas; I look at the crowd and take a deep breath before starting. "Good evening Ladies and gentlemen, thank you all for taking tie out of your busy schedules to attend today's event.", I announce.
"My name is Ardnola Hart, I am an aquarist at Dr Thomas's clinic. I have been working with him for a bit over a year, while going to school at Stanford university.

Most of you aren't aware of the vaquita. The vaquita is a shy and quite invisible marine animal, meaning they prefer to stay hidden. They live in murky and isolated waters, surrounded by life. So many have died! Every day they wonder which one of them will be next, isn't that a way to live life?", I proclaim.

"They have families just like all of you, they eat like you, they feel like you. They want to protect and have a future just like you, but they can't! Ozzy is one of the last vaquitas left on the planet! There were once many of them, they got to roam freely in what we know as the world's aquarium, and what they call home. Their home is now threatened, and we stay idly by as their families, their home, their future is being extinguished. They are more if a species of the brink of extinction, they are hope! Hope for the ocean, hope for this planet, hope for the future.", I announce.

"But the question is, can we save them?", I ask. "Their territory overlaps with commercial fisheries in Mexico that catch shrimp, curvina and sierra. As well as illegal fishing operations that targets them! That's what happened to Ozzy, he was targeted for a large sum of money for what , bait?", I state.

"In the last few decades, the vaquita population has decreased by about 8-19% per year, as gill nets set for fish and shrimp kill more porpoises than there are being born each year. Unlike other porpoises, vaquitas only give birth every other year to one young. Calves are born during spring around March and April. They live to be about 20 years if they are lucky enough.", I report.

"If rapid progress is not made, the vaquita porpoise will be extinct!", I disclose. "Ozzy was found by my friend Colton Schneider and I one evening when walking on the beach. He was entangled in a gill net and was stranded on the beach, for who knows how long? My other friends that we were with at the time called Dr Thomas and he his rescue team took Ozzy to the clinic. From that day we have had to do different physio's and medication in order for him to go back to his normal health.", I inform the audience.

"We have been working with him every day for him to recover, fortunately he has made an amazing progress and is completely recovered. At Aqua marine clinic it is our duty as staff and ocean lovers to ensure that the marine animals that are brought to us are convalesced correctly. We rescue, recover, and release all species that make a full recover, and we will continue doing it to the best of our ability. Dr Thomas runs an amazing clinic, and I am so grateful that he has taken not only my but two of my best friends under his wing and guided us throughout our journey!", I say smiling at the audience.

"Today is about awareness on the vaquita, but there are so many endangered species and it is up to us as people of this planet to look after not only of our home, but our species that live amongst us as well! By making other people aware and doing small things that will help our planet it will do everyone justice. We need to come together to prevent illegal fishing in order to save our species!", I advise finishing off my speech.

The first people to stand up are my friends, clapping and shouting my name. everyone joins shortly after them, whistles and claps being thrown around, I start laughing and walk to my amazing friends.