Stranger by the Tides [BoyxBoy]

Chapter 22: I'll Bring us Back Safely

I'M STILL VERY SKEPTICAL about where we're heading or what are we going to do.

Aiden said he wants to bring me whale riding. And I still do not know if that's a thing. I looked it up on Google and there's only whale watching, no riding.

But that doesn't mean I'm not curious.

We left the hotel and gather some equipment for scuba diving. We got an Uber to a location further from the hotel. More specifically, to another beach where it's more serene, and a good place for watching whales. At least that's what Aiden promises.

"So, here?" The Uber dropped us at the entrance of a condominium. We can see the beach in front of us, but it's a ghost town. Not a single soul in sight. Well, there are no people but birds everywhere, and I was excited to see macaw soaring in the skies rather than seagulls. Seagulls always roamed above the ocean; macaws are a fresh change of pace. There were ones with rainbow-colored wings, some were fully blue, white, and green. Altogether, they bring life to the sky.

"Here," he sounded excited. "It's been ages since I ventured here. The journey by foot takes approximately three hours. But by an Uber, we arrived within an hour. That's an advantage."

"You walked here before?"

He nods. "I walked along the shorelines rather than the roads, so I had to pass by the forest, climb over large boulders, and walk through shallow waters to get here. The journey is half the fun, actually."

I can't imagine walking on foot for three hours, crossing the forest, and going through obstacles to get to a destination. Transportation, it's another thing we take for granted. It's people like Aiden who reminded me I should be grateful for the things I have. And I am. It's just sometimes I need a reminder.

"Why do you come here?" I ask. "What makes this beach any different from the rest?"

"Here, my friend, is where the humpback whales pass during migration," we set foot on the powdered sugar sand. It's felt finer, as though no one has been here before. There was sand flees circling around the small growths, miniature crabs retreating to their holes, and the foamy waves crashing against the surface. We stopped on the shores where we could feel the waves gliding over our feet. The water is crystal clear as we can see our toes perfectly. "And today, we're going to swim with some."

"Just one question, how?"

"Whales are intelligent gentle creatures if you know how to communicate with them, and also do not provoke activities that will anger them. We're going to rest on the whale as they swim along."

"Rest? As in sit on them?"

He nods. "I've done this many times before," he said. "I'm always excited during whale migration. It's one of the best things about living in Maui."

We're looking out at the calm waters, and there's not a whale in sight. Somehow, I doubt there will be any because the waters are shallow, and whales wouldn't swim so close without getting beached.

Though we couldn't see them, we could hear them. Their song came clearer as we focused on the silence. As well as the sound of their blowholes spraying water.

"There!" He pointed straight ahead, but I see nothing.

"Where?"

He kept moving his pointed finger in the same direction as I squint my eyes to concentrate. We saw the back of a creature rising before descending back into the waters. I glimpsed its tail, but not entirely sure if it was a whale. It could be anything. A shark, a large fish, a mermaid.

I laughed to myself when the thought of that tail belonging to a mermaid invades my mind.

Many people believe these creatures do not exist. But how would they know? Only five percent of the ocean has been discovered. What about the other ninety-five percent? They could be lurking around deeper waters, hiding from the unsuspecting human.