Page 28 of Cocky Cruiser

When we reached the turtle exhibit, to say I was disappointed would have been an understatement. The interactive part of the exhibit was picking a virtual turtle, getting a card for it, then taking that card through different digital stations to rehabilitate the turtle through various activities.

Cohen and I each picked a different type of turtle, then went to the first station. He must have noticed my disappointed expression because he asked, “You okay?”

“Yeah, it’s just not what I thought. I figured we get to do something more hands-on with a real turtle.” I shrugged. “Stupid me.”

Cohen frowned, then said, “I’ll be right back.”

I blinked rapidly a few times at his back as he walked away, confused as to where he was going. Shaking my head, I went back to doctoring my digital turtle’s injuries.

The second station was a weigh station for the turtle. All of the stations required the turtle card to be placed on top of a sensor before the interaction would begin. Apparently, my turtle was underweight, and the next station was feeding.

I was on my way to the next station when Cohen returned with an aquarium employee. Perplexed, my forehead creased as I glanced back and forth between the two men. “Hi.”

Cohen grinned. “Hey. This is Aaron. He works here, and I asked him for a little favor.”

I arched a brow. “Oh, yeah?”

“Yeah. I told him about your dream of working in marine biology and that you want to specialize in sea turtle rehabilitation efforts.”

My heart warmed at his thoughtfulness as he continued, “So, I let him know how much you were looking forward to this exhibit, but that it really wasn’t what you were expecting.”

I gave Aaron an apologetic look, a little embarrassed at Cohen’s bluntness. “I mean, it’s a nice exhibit. There’s nothing wrong with it, and it’s really informative. I ju-”

Aaron held up a hand to stop me before I could continue rambling. “It’s okay. I happen to think that saying interactive sea turtle exhibit is a little misleading, so I completely understand.” He glanced around before lowering his voice. “We don’t advertise it, but we do have an actual interactive experience that Mr. James here signed you up for.”

I gaped at Cohen as Aaron said, “Follow me.”

I was speechless for a few seconds as we followed Aaron. “You didn’t have to do this.”

Cohen smirked. “I know. I wanted to. I couldn’t stand seeing that sad pout on that pretty face of yours.”

My cheeks heated as we reached an employees-only door not far from the turtle exhibit. We entered a large utility room with several huge aquarium tanks, along with vet tables and equipment. “This is where the magic happens,” Aaron stated, gesturing around the room.

“When a turtle comes to us, we bring it in, examine it, treat any wounds, and start the rehabilitation process. Of the seven species of marine turtles, five can be found in New Zealand's waters, and all seven types are classified as endangered; some are even on the verge of extinction, so what we do here is very important.”

Hearing about the work that the aquarium did motivated me more to follow through on pursuing marine biology.

Aaron led us over to one of the tanks, which had a small turtle in it. “We started this rehabilitation program back in 1995, voluntarily treating sick or injured turtles found around New Zealand's waters. Green turtles are the species most commonly brought to us. However, we have treated hawksbill, olive ridley, and loggerhead turtles, as well.”

Placing my hand on the glass, I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. “This is just amazing. It’s exceptional what you’re doing here.”

Aaron smiled. “It’s very rewarding. I hope you feel the same once you get started in your career.”

We all watched the turtle swim around the tank for a few seconds before Aaron turned to me. “Would you like to feed him?”

My grin widened as excitement filled me. “Can I?”

“Sure. It’s about feeding time for them, and most of these turtles need to put on a little extra weight.”

I had to stop myself from hopping up and down and clapping with glee. “Yes, please.”

“Great. I’ll be right back.”

Once Aaron was out of sight, I threw my arms around Cohen’s neck and squealed. He stumbled back a bit, apparently surprised by my sudden show of affection. “Thank you so much for doing this.”

His arms wrapped around my middle, and he squeezed me tight. “You’re welcome. Anything to put a smile on your face.”

Aaron returned with a bucket. “This little guy here is Mikey. Mikey is a green turtle. He’s on the smaller side at a little over two feet long, and he washed up on shore entangled in a plastic soda can wrapper. He also had more in his stomach, which is very harmful to them.”

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