Careless and the Shark Poachers
Sad to say, this story has a factual background. Because shark fin soup is considered a delicacy, sharks are being relentlessly hunted. They are caught, their fins stripped off, and their finless bodies are thrown back into the water to die.
Careless and the Shark Poachers
It had been a beautiful day of fishing on the bay. Careless smiled at Linda Lou as he started the boat’s motor to return to the docks. Suddenly, Linda Lou gave a little cry and handed Careless her binoculars. She pointed at something behind him and he turned and looked. What he saw took his breath away. It was a huge speedboat. Five or six men were on the deck, some of them with gaffs in their hands. As he watched, they pulled in several large fish. ‘I’ve got to get a closer look at this,’ he said to Linda Lou, turning in the direction of the speedboat. A few minutes later, he looked through the binoculars again. This time he was sure. ‘Do you know what those bastards are doing? They’re poaching sharks! Call the Coast Guard!’ Linda whipped out her cell phone and had just begun punching out the number when Careless heard the roar of a powerful motor. The speedboat had turned in their direction and was coming towards them. Careless opened up his little motor to full speed ahead, but soon noticed that the speedboat was gaining on them by the minute. Suddenly, he heard the sound of gunshots. ‘Careless!’ cried Linda Lou. ‘They’re shooting at us!’
In pairs or small groups, discuss ways of rescuing Careless and Linda Lou. Choose the best idea and begin writing.
