Arun and his father were on their small fishing boat, the salty air of the ocean surrounding them. Arun’s father stood up and pulled out a bountiful catch of fish, their scales glistering in the morning sunlight. “There’s a bottle stuck inside the net,” Arun said. His father took the plastic bottle out of the fishing net, and threw it into the ocean. Turning to his left, he saw a pod of whales. “Son, look at the whales,” he said, but Arun couldn’t see them splashing and spouting in the distance. Then, out of nowhere, a whale jumped out of the sea in front of their boat. For a fraction of a second, time stood still for Arun. Such a majestic creature, Arun thought.

The whale was the only thing on Arun’s mind as he and his father walked along the shoreline carrying fish. The whale had disappeared with a splash. Where could it be now? But the plastic bottles, bags, and other trash scattered around distracted him. Why does it always have to be messy around here? His eyes caught the sight of a sea turtle that mistook a plastic bag for food and was nibbling it. Acting swiftly, Arun reached down his hand and snatched the plastic away...