For countless days I was certain I would perish out there. Still, I never gave up hope my mother would come looking for me… but she never did. I was a fragile seal pup stranded on a lonely iceberg in the middle of the Arctic Ocean. The wild storm had torn us apart during the night and set me adrift into the unknown. Mother always warned me of the greedy humans who lived on the land but invaded our oceans to hunt and kill.

My desolate iceberg glistened, a diamond amongst coal, as I was forced to abandon what little remained. Beginning to spot what appeared to be some lost seaweed, I gathered all of my strength to reach it. However, I immediately found myself tangled in a dangerous web of filthy, brown rope which coiled ruthlessly around my neck. I struggled and squirmed in the unforgiving waves for hours, desperation rising until no fight remained in me. I watched as blood infused the water like a poison, and I realised there was little hope of escape. As I lay helplessly, I thought about the life I had spent playing in the mischievous waves and feeling the gentle snowflakes falling down on my small, round nose.

Gradually, a loud noise filtered into my subconscious mind. Were they humans? Moments later, I awoke on a small boat to a roaring engine and alarmed voices. Panic struck me as the flash of a sharp blade approached my neck. My eyes grew wide with fear, but instead of pain, I felt the tension release from my bindings. Faces beamed kindly down at me before powerful arms lifted me gently back into the water, where I was greeted by big, brown eyes. Human nature does have the power to help Mother Nature, after all.