The boat was big enough for all of them. It had a wide deck with railings the children could hold onto, and the water below was so clear that Franz could see straight through to the sandy bottom even when they were far from shore.
Arianne gathered the children before they boarded. Her voice was calm but firm.
"Three rules. No standing near the edge unless someone is holding your hand. No jumping. Listen to the guides. If they say move back, you move back. Okay?"
"Okay," Lily said.
Leo nodded. Kyle nodded too, very fast.
"Good. Let's go."
The boat pushed away from the dock, and the adventure started.
Lily had her video camera. She'd been carrying it around all week, practicing for the baby videos she'd decided to make. She held it up now and pressed the button, her face very serious.
"We're on a boat," she said to the camera. "A big boat. We're gonna see whales. Real whales. That's the ocean. It's really big."
