Nathaniel signaled calm with a raised hand. “Stay still,” he mouthed through his regulator. His scientific mind thrummed with excitement, seeing opportunity where others sensed danger. Observing whales so near was rare enough. Observing them circle a reef this closely? It promised data that no journal had ever published.
The whales tightened their formation, moving like massive sentinels around the reef. Sunlight dappled their ridged backs as they descended and rose in synchronized arcs. Nathaniel filmed feverishly, every instinct telling him this behavior meant something. Still, he could not decipher whether the circle was ritual, warning, or something altogether unfamiliar.