Dear Reader,

I’m so glad you’re reading PROJECT SEAHORSE! I wanted to write about seahorses because I’ve been a scuba diver for many years. I love animals and the special thing about diving and snorkeling is that most underwater wildlife can’t figure out what you are, so they aren’t afraid of you. I’ve been in the water with all sorts of big animals like sharks and whales and dolphins, but sometimes the coolest animals are the small, hard-to-find ones.

Seahorses are just so weird. A fish with a crocodile skin, kangaroo pouch, monkey tail, horse head…and the males get pregnant and have babies. I really love fantasy books, but some true things are just off the charts.

I traveled to the Philippines to research and write PROJECT SEAHORSE. The night I arrived we went out snorkeling to find seahorses. The seahorses on that reef only come out at night, so we swam out and searched the reef with underwater flashlights. I never would’ve found the seahorses if I hadn’t been with experts—they look just like the coral they cling to. You have to spot their little black-button eyes.

The seahorses were good sports about us shining our beams in their faces. When we came up we looked out across the water and saw a lightning storm in the distance. Every few seconds we saw silent flashes of white that lit up distant clouds. There was no rain or thunder, at least in our part of the ocean. It was just black water and white pulses. So very eerie and beautiful.

Never pass up an opportunity to get outside. Get wet, get dirty! See the world, or just your corner of it. Nature will reward you with moments full of surprise and wonder. Guaranteed!

All the best,

Pamela Turner

Download a copy of “Your Friend, Pamela S. Turner (A Letter to Readers)” HERE.

For more about Pamela and her books, visit her website HERE.