Dolphins

[guppiecat]

When I was in second grade, I got to write my first report. I remember being told that it had to be three paragraphs, and that I could include a picture. We were given some of that large-lined paper (with the dashed middle-line) to write it on. The teacher then helped us each to pick an animal that we could research (with the help of the librarian) and write the paper.

I think it took us all a week, and I remember being so proud when I was done.

I picked the Yangtze river dolphin. It was special because it could "see" with sonar in the Yangtze river, even though the river was so clouded with mud that visibility was zero.

Later, as an adult, I read Last Chance to See by Douglas Adams, where he recounted a humorous account of trying to record the noise in the Yangtze river. See, the shift in China from oar and wind powered boats to motor boats caused the noise level to go up in the river. This meant that the dolphins couldn't maneuver in the black/brown water. As such, they became endangered.

Now they're gone.