Chapter 8
I spunaround as Jasmine walked into the office and examined the floor strewn with maps and brochures. I couldn’t pick them up fast enough.
“Did you open all the windows?” she asked.
“Yeah, I thought some fresh air would be nice.”
“The window in the corner, where all the maps and brochures are, was the problem.” She closed it, stopping the offending draught in an instant.
“Got it.”
She knelt and started picking up the maps. “I’ll sort all these out if you like. How are your inductions going?” Her tone was light.
Relief flooded through me. I didn’t want to have angst between us. Not here or at home.
I went back to my desk. “Thanks. I got a couple of modules done.”
She started laying the papers on the desk, sorting them into piles. “Once I finish here, we can go out in the boat if you like.”
“Yes, please.”
What had changed? Did she realise how important it was to me? My ex-wife Audrey had never cared for my work. She once told me it bored her to tears. She’d even said that about me. Apparently, our relationship lacked passion. I’d done everything I could to make her happy. Knowing everything my mother had gone through, I’d tried to be the opposite of my father. Apparently, it wasn’t enough. After six years of marriage, she left.
Jasmine finished sorting and started returning the maps and brochures to their allotted space.
“I’ve emailed you a copy of my licences,” I said, to her back, not letting my eyes stray to those long legs as she reached up to reach the top holders.
When she’d finished her task, she returned to her computer and opened the email. “Your international car licence is good. But you can’t drive a boat here on that licence.”
I sucked a breath in. “What?”
“You’ll need to get an Australian boat licence. You can’t drive a boat until then.”
“How long will that take?”
“The closest licence department is two hours away.” She clicked some buttons and studied the screen. Typed a bit more. “The earliest appointment is in a month’s time.”
My stomach dropped. “What about my research?”
Jasmine shook her head. “I don’t know. We’ll try to work something out.” She entered some details into the computer. “You’re all booked in.”
I didn’t want to sit idle for one month. I couldn’t. There was so much I wanted to do, to learn. I was going to be at her mercy. No, that wasn’t correct. The job’s mercy. There was enough work here for her and a part-timer. That’s why I’d been hired. I couldn’t expect her to take time out of her day, every day, to help me. Maybe she could manage if it was only one month. So far, nothing about this expedition had gone to plan.
I continued on my inductions until Jasmine said, “Are you ready to head out? If we go now, we should be back in time for a late lunch.”
“I’m ready.” I gave her a smile and stood up. I grabbed the waterproof satchel that held my tablet and note pads. Jasmine followed me out and locked the door behind us. She changed the time on the board, letting people know we’d be back at 1 pm. Two hours from now. Was that going to be enough time?
She led me out onto a small jetty straight in front of the general store with the National Park boat tied to it. I’d say it was a fifteen-seater. Nice and big for tours and snorkelling equipment. She undid the ropes and invited me to hop on. I watched as she went through the safety checks. The person I’d met yesterday seemed to have disappeared and been replaced by this efficient, precise person.
She started the boat, and I sat in the co-pilot chair beside her.
“How far is the sea lion colony?” I asked.
“Fifteen minutes from here. Because we’re in a bay it’s usually an easy, smooth ride.”
The beach and houses receded. Ahead of us stretched clear blue water. I sighed. This place was paradise—secluded, untouched, unpolluted. Perfect for sea lions.
“How big is your colony here?”
Jasmine glanced at me before moving her attention back to the water. “I’d estimate around 400. When I first started nearly five years ago, there were more.”
Sea lion population decline was typical around the world. They were listed as endangered. Hopefully, some of the work I was doing would help change that. My PhD had been years in the making. A bachelor’s degree, a master’s degree, teaching assistant, research, and experience would all lead to my doctorate and helping sea lions.
“The data I collect will help with more accurate figures.”
Jasmine frowned. “I’m sure our figures are close. We take counts every month.”
I kept my mouth shut. I hadn’t meant to insinuate their methods were inferior. In research circles, data was king. We didn’t just rely on visual counts. I concentrated on the peace around us and the sea breeze against my skin rather than the silence in the boat.
“I won’t only be collecting data on the size of the population. It will cover the demographics as well.” I hoped that would help her understand my previous comment better.
Jasmine nodded. I didn’t know if that meant she was interested or not. I continued, “I’ll investigate their territory, interactions, everything. I can help determine why their numbers are declining. It will help develop policies for the future.”
“How do you propose to collect this data?” Jasmine asked as she slowed the boat.
“I’ll tag all the sea lions and place satellite trackers on some.”
The boat rounded a point into a secluded area. Sea lions lay on the beach and rocks, sunning themselves. My heart quickened. I couldn’t take in the scene in front of me fast enough. My eyes darted from group to group.
These beautiful creatures had once been hunted for their fur; their numbers were decimated. Then came gillnet fishing, causing sea lions to drown after being caught in the mesh. The South Australian government, which Jasmine and I worked for, banned gillnet fishing close to colonies and had cameras installed on all fishing boats so that deaths were accurately recorded. Deaths were reduced by 98%. Their actions were exactly why I’d approached them about funding my research.
I studied the sea lions in front of me. The males stood out, being twice the size of the females and having much darker fur. Juveniles were scattered across the sand, oblivious to the world. The sea lions barely paid us any attention, only glancing at us before returning to their slumber. Interesting.
It would take at least a month to tag them all and collect data on the individuals, and I’d need Jasmine’s help to do it. How were we going to make this work? We had differing priorities. The research I was completing was not just about my dissertation, it was for the benefit of sea lions across the world.