Honorary Mermaids: The Twilight Zone 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♂️

This week, we’re back with siblings Rowan and Rosalie as they work to complete the second of three tests to become honorary mermaids! 

Last time, they were in the sunlight zone of the ocean and helped to save a baby otter who was in danger. Their kindness earned them green gold speckles all over their mermaid tails and the completion of one test! 

This week, they are moving into the middle layer – the twilight zone – for their second test, when they encounter a ghost net – which is a fishing net that has been lost or abandoned at sea. It’s called a ghost net because it keeps catching fish and other sea creatures forever even though no one is in charge of it – it just haunts the water. Rowan and Rosalie have to save themselves and a hundred other animals who are trapped in the net. 

A quick word of caution – everything comes out fine in the end, and we talk about this in kid-friendly ways, but these nets are a little sad and scary because of their impact on wildlife. They really are a huge problem in the oceans! You can skip this episode if you’d rather not learn about them.

You can listen to the first part of their story in the episode "Honorary Mermaids: The Sunlight Zone". 

New intro

If you like our show, please subscribe on your favorite podcast platform and share it with others! It's the most important way to keep our podcast going ❤️

Want to share your thoughts or a picture with us? Connect with us on Facebook or via any of the other channels listed on our website, foggyoakfairytales.com!

Looking for Foggy Oak Fairy Tales podcast merch? No problem! Check out our merchandise!

Feel like reading more about the farm? Check out Claire's book "Ruth on the Roof", a picture book about Foggy Oak Farm's Ruth the kitten and her adventures climbing (and figuring out how to get down from) all kinds of places!

— — — — — — —
Written, performed, and produced for you by Claire Krendl Gilbert. Thanks to my daughters for their assistance playing and singing the intro and outro!

©2024 Claire Krendl Gilbert. All rights reserved.

Transcript

Transcript

00:00:00

Foggy Oak Farm, Foggy Oak Farm, come on down to Foggy Oak Farm!

00:00:14

Hi friends, welcome to Foggy Oak Fairy tales, a stories podcast for all ages where we tell farm stories from real life happenings on Foggy Oak Farm, as well as fantasy tales to spark, both learning and imagination.

00:00:32

I'm so glad you're here.

00:00:39

This week we're back with Rowan and Rosalie as they work to complete the second of three tests to become honorary mermaids.

00:00:50

Last time they were in the sunlight zone of the ocean and helped to save a baby Otter that was in danger.

00:00:57

That earned them green and gold speckles all over their mermaid tails and the completion of one of their three tests.

00:01:06

This week they are moving into the middle layer, the twilight zone, for their second test.

00:01:12

When they encounter a ghost net, which is a fishing net that has been lost or abandoned at sea.

00:01:19

It's called a.

00:01:20

Ghost net because it keeps catching fish and other sea creatures forever.

00:01:24

Even though no one is in charge of it, it just haunts the water.

00:01:30

Rowan and Rosalie have to save themselves and 100 other animals were trapped in the net. A quick word of caution, everything comes out fine in the end and we talk about it in kid friendly ways.

00:01:43

But these Nets are a little sad and scary because of their impact on wildlife.

00:01:49

They really are a huge problem.

00:01:51

In the oceans, you can skip this episode if you'd rather not learn about them.

00:01:56

If you didn't have a chance to listen to part one of honorary mermaids yet, and would like to, you can go back and find the honorary mermaids.

00:02:04

Part One episode of Foggy Oak fairy tales to get caught up on the first part of their adventure with the baby Otter.

00:02:12

Let's join them as they head to meet their second test with hesper.

00:02:17

The Twilight zone mermaid.

00:02:19

Hello children, hesper called as Rowan and Rosalie swam towards him.

00:02:25

You did well on your first Test in the sunlight zone.

00:02:29

That is also the part of the ocean you are most familiar with.

00:02:34

Hesper paused and gave them a serious look.

00:02:34

As per.

00:02:37

His hair continued to shift constantly with his words, his deep blue skin setting off the shining silver tentacles of his hair.

00:02:45

One moment banded an orange black ones the next.

00:02:50

The sunlight zone is the part of the ocean.

00:02:52

You know, plants grow and the fish, mammals and other creatures familiar to you reside there.

00:02:59

The twilight zone.

00:03:01

And if you make it there, the midnight zone are very different places.

00:03:06

Humans rarely enter the twilight zone and can barely dive there.

00:03:10

With modern scuba technology.

00:03:13

Photosynthesis, that process by which plants can convert the sun into food and energy for themselves is not possible.

00:03:22

It is not wholly dark in the twilight zone, but neither is there much light.

00:03:27

And as you'll find, the amount of light decreases as we go lower.

00:03:33

You will know when we have begun to enter the twilight zone, because we will pass through the Ocean's thermocline while your mermaid body will protect you from the crushing pressure of the ocean, I am confident you will notice the temperature difference as we pass through this the sunlight zone into twilight.

00:03:52

That temperature difference is called the thermocline and you will feel it quite strongly before your body adjusts.

00:04:01

Rowan and Rosalie knew the rules from their first Test with Alba in the sunlight zone, and they didn't try to ask Casper any questions.

00:04:09

It was against the rules and there was no point.

00:04:11

They'd get no further information than Hesper chose to give them at this moment.

00:04:17

We understand we're ready, Rowan said instead.

00:04:21

One final word of warning.

00:04:23

Aspirin toned.

00:04:25

There are dangers here that will claim you just as surely as any other sea creature, and no sea talker may aid you.

00:04:33

Take great care.

00:04:35

Blow with that Hesper dove and was gone from the surface before the children had even had time to think about his warning.

00:04:43

Rowan and Rosalie quickly dove as well, struggling to keep pace with the much faster and more experienced sea talker.

00:04:51

They descended quickly and light from the surface began dimming as they slam down, down, down, following Hesper.

00:05:00

Although they were only vaguely aware of a sense of increased pressure, both children gasped in shock as they passed through the thermocline and entered the twilight zone.

00:05:10

Had been getting cooler in parallel with the decrease in light as they moved down.

00:05:15

But the dramatic temperature shift as they moved through the transition between zones was a jolt.

00:05:20

They could not have prepared for.

00:05:22

In their sea talker forms, they didn't feel the cold as unpleasant, exactly, but the chill was pervasive, like someone had rubbed them all over with ice.

00:05:32

Although it wasn't bright, light still penetrated at this depth, just like Casper had said.

00:05:38

It was certainly more wide open and vast than the sunlight zone had seemed.

00:05:43

Blue water stretched indefinitely all around them, and they could make out the scattered forms of fish.

00:05:50

The very occasional leatherback sea turtle, the shooting forms of seals diving deep and the vague form of whales and sharks making their way through the depths.

00:06:00

At some distance.

00:06:02

That was all fantastic enough, but even more marvelous was the abundance of bioluminescent life.

00:06:10

Glowing, shimmering fish, squid, jellyfish, and creatures they couldn't easily place into any category, darted and flashed everywhere.

00:06:20

Their light show was incredible.

00:06:23

Hypnotic, mesmerizing.

00:06:27

Overcome with awe, the children lost track of hesper.

00:06:30

Worse, they didn't see the faintly shimmering, ominous strands of the ghost net undulating directly in front of Rosalie.

00:06:40

Rosalie felt the net before she saw it, slamming into the fibers.

00:06:44

She felt the tangled.

00:06:46

Mines of the net, wrapping around her tail tight and tangled and tot and painfully cutting into her.

00:06:53

Panicked, she flailed and thrashed, which only.

00:06:56

Serve to further trap her.

00:07:00

What is this?

00:07:01

She cried.

00:07:02

I can't, Rowan.

00:07:03

I can't get out.

00:07:04

I'm stuck.

00:07:07

Rowan, who had narrowly avoided the net himself, swam closer to see if he could.

00:07:11

Free her.

00:07:12

Hold on, Rosalie.

00:07:13

I'll help you.

00:07:14

He said as he cut towards her.

00:07:17

Stay back.

00:07:18

See Toker, child of voice exclaimed.

00:07:22

Both children were shaken out of their panic by the cry and looked about for the son.

00:07:27

That was when they noticed their surroundings.

00:07:30

The giant net had caught hundreds of other sea creatures, some of whom were still struggling.

00:07:36

Some who had given up.

00:07:37

Rosalie had swum into a relatively creature free part of the net, but near her was an enormous leatherback sea turtle, similarly entangled.

00:07:48

See how the net shifts with the water.

00:07:50

If you get too close before learning the currents, it will have you as well, the turtle warned Rowan Turtle.

00:07:58

How long have you been trapped?

00:08:00

Don't you need to breathe, Rowan?

00:08:03

Fear forgotten and looking at the turtle.

00:08:06

Yes, long enough that I can't survive much longer.

00:08:09

I was caught just as you were.

00:08:11

I couldn't see or sense the strands of the net as I moved through the water and it caught me just as it caught the rest of us.

00:08:19

Get away.

00:08:20

See Tucker.

00:08:21

Child, get away while you still can fish up and down the net.

00:08:27

Rowan said firmly.

00:08:28

I won't leave.

00:08:29

Rosalie and I won't leave the rest of you either.

00:08:33

Rowan, we need to help the sea turtle first, Rosalie said.

00:08:37

I can at least breathe.

00:08:39

She won't make it if we don't get her out right now.

00:08:43

They both looked at the turtle, whose slippers and.

00:08:45

Neck were wrapped.

00:08:46

Tightly in the webs of netting, I can reach her, Rosalie said, extending her arms to the turtle.

00:08:52

Thankfully, those were still free.

00:08:55

What's the currents?

00:08:56

The turtle warned again as Rowan moved towards her.

00:09:00

He did, paying attention to the undulating sleigh of the net as the currents shifted it.

00:09:05

Hesper was forgotten.

00:09:07

Both children reached out and carefully began unwrapping and shifting and working the net off the turtle.

00:09:14

As they worked with furious concentration, Rowan mumbled almost to himself.

00:09:19

What is this anyway?

00:09:21

What is this net doing here in the twilight zone?

00:09:24

Unable to help them free her, the turtle answered him instead.

00:09:29

I've heard the seed talkers call them ghost Nets.

00:09:32

They can be found all over the ocean on the surface, in the twilight zone, even at the bottom.

00:09:39

Their eyes when fishermen lose or abandon their Nets to the sea, but the Nets don't stop fishing when they are lost, they continue their work with or without a mask.

00:09:51

Eventually, so many fish, birds, turtles, shells and other creatures that come trapped that the floats on the net are not strong enough to keep it at the surface and it drifts down to the bottom.

00:10:03

And when the creatures at the bottom eat everything in the net, it floats back to the surface once more to repeat the cycle.

00:10:10

I became caught on this one's way down.

00:10:14

That's horrible.

00:10:16

Rosalie exploded.

00:10:17

How can this be?

00:10:18

How is it possible that this is happening?

00:10:22

Oh child, there are 10s of thousands of these ghosts Nets.

00:10:26

Perhaps more, the turtle said in resignation.

00:10:30

This is not my first time getting tangled in one, but it is the first time I haven't been able to free myself.

00:10:37

Several fish around the Knap murmured in agreement.

00:10:40

Yes, yes, yes.

00:10:43

No, Rowan grounded out as he worked at the.

00:10:46

Fibers that won't happen this time, and Rosalie and I will do everything we can to stop it from happening next time too.

00:10:55

Suddenly the turtle was free.

00:10:58

Ohh children, thank you.

00:11:01

She sobbed in relief.

00:11:02

I have to get to the surface right now.

00:11:04

I'm almost out of air.

00:11:06

Thank you.

00:11:07

And with that, she was gone swimming as quickly as she could back to the sunlight zone and the surface to breathe.

00:11:14

This left Rowan and Rosalie with a quandary.

00:11:18

Could reach some of the other fish and creatures caught in the net.

00:11:21

But not all.

00:11:23

There didn't appear to be any other animals that needed to breathe air to rescue, so they decided to try and free Rosalie next so that she could be more helpful in getting the rest of the creatures free.

00:11:34

Together, they began carefully working her tail out of the painful lines of the net, unwinding and untangling bit by bit, until they freed her.

00:11:45

Angry Red Welps covered the parts of her tail where the net had been wrap.

00:11:49

And both children felt a cold fury that had nothing to do with the temperature of the water.

00:11:55

With grim determination, they both set to work carefully, unwinding and untangling the fish and crabs and squid who had become trapped while watching the dangerous shifting of the net with the currents.

00:12:07

The whole time to avoid becoming re ensnared.

00:12:10

As they freed them, each creature gave a grave thank you.

00:12:15

Some disappeared, desperate to find food after so long trapped in the net.

00:12:21

The stronger ones who hadn't been stuck for as long, formed a fierce patrol around the net, warning other creatures away.

00:12:29

Even the Sharks were cooperative and thankful when freed working next to their sharp teeth and fierce eyes was honestly rather terrifying at first.

00:12:39

But both children quickly lost their fear as they focused single mindedly on working off the tangles.

00:12:45

There just wasn't room for fear.

00:12:48

And though they wanted to help the children as they came free, even shark teeth were not strong enough to slice through the tough synthetic fibers of the net.

00:12:57

Instead, the Sharks joined the patrol, shouting warnings out into the deep blue depths.

00:13:02

Oy whale.

00:13:03

Stay back.

00:13:04

Now look here.

00:13:05

There's a ghost net.

00:13:06

A great white.

00:13:07

They had just freed, bellowed at an approaching couriers beaked whale as it swam towards them.

00:13:13

Don't you think I know that shark?

00:13:16

The whale said, sounding offended.

00:13:18

Everyone for leagues around heard your bellowing.

00:13:22

I'm here to help.

00:13:24

Rosalie and Rowan had paused after freeing a large tuna.

00:13:28

Their fingers were bloody and bruised from fighting the tangles of the net.

00:13:33

They hadn't seen a courier's beaked whale up close before.

00:13:37

It sort of looked like a dolphin, except with a goose like beak that turned up into a permanent smile where a dolphin would have more of a.

00:13:44

Snout, also known as a rostrum.

00:13:48

The whale's long Gray body was bigger than a dolphins and its fins and flippers were different, but the overall vibe was an overly large, friendly and curious dolphin.

00:13:58

Well, how can you help us?

00:14:00

Rowan asked.

00:14:02

Rosalie and I have hands and we can barely get these strands off.

00:14:06

You're right that I don't have hands and hands are needed for this work, but what I do have is magic and that I will offer you for the assistance you are given to my fellow sea creatures.

00:14:19

The well responded sweetly.

00:14:20

Come here, children and touch my beak the whale.

00:14:25

Trusting this serves some purpose.

00:14:27

Both kids did as they were instructed and placed their hands on the smooth beak of the.

00:14:31

Whale in doing so, they felt a ripple of energy shoot into their hands and course through their bodies.

00:14:40

Now use that to make this go faster, the whale commanded.

00:14:44

It turned to join the patrol around the net, covering the area below to warn any creatures coming up from deeper water.

00:14:51

I'm not sure what to do, Rosalie said quietly to Rowan as she slammed back to the net.

00:14:58

Rowan reached out his hand and touched his strand of the net experimentally with his finger.

00:15:04

Suddenly the net strand was sliced in too. Rowan's fingernail had grown and changed into something that strongly resembled a knife careful not to cut yourself. The whale called from below.

00:15:20

Rowan didn't need further instruction.

00:15:22

He set to work on the net, making rapid progress as he carefully cut and untangled his way around a bigger and bigger section of.

00:15:31

Rosalie observed him for a minute and then did the same, gasping happily in surprise as her finger changed as well.

00:15:38

It was hard work, but it was much easier with their new magical tools.

00:15:42

After several hours, they finally freed the last trapped creature and watched in satisfied exhaustion as the grateful Squid jetted off to hunt.

00:15:53

But what do we do with the net?

00:15:55

Rohan wondered.

00:15:56

To rosalie.

00:15:57

We can't leave it here.

00:15:59

It'll just start catching things again.

00:16:02

Rowan, did you notice we've been rising this whole time?

00:16:05

Rosalie asked as the net became lighter.

00:16:09

The float started dragging it to the surface again.

00:16:12

I wonder if we can use that to our advantage somehow.

00:16:16

We'll help you tow it to shore. The courier's beaked whale offered, appearing next to them with several friends who looked so similar. The kids assumed they must all be part of a family pod.

00:16:28

But we can't risk becoming trapped ourselves.

00:16:32

Use some of that magic I gave you to make us long towing ropes.

00:16:36

The whale seemed confident they would be able to, and both kids were determined to get the ghost net out of the ocean for good.

00:16:45

They moved back to the net and as both children reached out to grab the net and determine how to make ropes.

00:16:51

The whale's magic gift did it for them.

00:16:55

Their fingernail blades dissolved, and shining strands of golden light unspooled from their hands and fused with the net all along one side.

00:17:07

The other end of each strand shot towards the whales, who grabbed the magic rope with their beaks and immediately began to swim towards the surface and the shore.

00:17:17

Now you follow us and keep the other creatures away.

00:17:20

The lead whale called to them through the rope in her mouth.

00:17:24

Rowan and Rosalie nodded.

00:17:26

Rosalie took the bottom, and Rowan swam behind the net to observe the top and the back.

00:17:32

Together, they shoot away curious sharks, turtles, seals and other fish as the whales speed them up and along towards shore.

00:17:41

They quickly passed through the thermocline back into warmer waters and a ripple of that same shock swept over the children.

00:17:48

There wasn't time to do more than notice the feeling.

00:17:51

The whales weren't stopping.

00:17:54

They soon breached the surface and found that the whales had taken them almost to the shore of a Cove along the.

00:17:59

Coast as they swam towards shore, a huge herd of seals.

00:18:04

Cut across the water towards them.

00:18:07

We're here to.

00:18:07

Help one of the leaders of the Gray seals.

00:18:10

Announced the Sharps left off hunting and told us.

00:18:13

What was going on?

00:18:15

When the whales and seals met, the water was just deep enough for the whales to safely hand off the rope and move back into deeper water.

00:18:24

Now where the whales had managed by towing just one strand per whale, these smaller seals needed several to a rope.

00:18:32

But among them, they pulled and heaved and slogged the net to the rocky shore.

00:18:37

Rowan and Rosalie brought up the rear, helping to drag the heavy, tattered ghost net closer.

00:18:43

But they didn't know how to get rid of their.

00:18:45

Tails, so they couldn't help the seals finish dragging it out of the water.

00:18:51

Thank you, they yelled to the seals as the seals and the net moved further and further up the beach.

00:18:57

Thank you, young.

00:18:58

She talkers, the leader called Back.

00:19:01

None of us will forget your help.

00:19:04

There are too many of these evil things to count, but this is 1 less ghost net to haunt the ocean.

00:19:11

Rowan and Rosalie swam back to where the pod of whales waited for them.

00:19:16

Grab on to my dorsal Finn children, it offered.

00:19:19

We'll escort you back down to the twilight zone.

00:19:22

It's much faster for us than it is for you.

00:19:25

Thank you, Wale.

00:19:26

We really appreciate it, Rowan said, feeling the exhaustion of the rescue effort in every bone in his body and tail.

00:19:36

Wearily, each child grabbed on to the lead whales dorsal Fen and they were diving fast, faster than they could have imagined.

00:19:44

Being able to swim faster than they had time to process the thermocline felt like the merest blip as they passed through, and the whale took them to the darker, colder.

00:19:56

Deeper waters of the twilight zone.

00:19:58

Thank you again, Rosalie said as the whale stopped to let them drop off.

00:20:03

We need to get back to our test and.

00:20:06

Rosalie was interrupted by the appearance of Hesper, shimmering beautifully with bioluminescence.

00:20:12

They hadn't seen in the sunlight zone.

00:20:16

In the waters of the twilight zone, his hair continued its shifting colors and patterns.

00:20:21

But each changing style had the hypnotic shimmer of the bioluminescent creatures of the deep.

00:20:27

Hesper, we're sorry.

00:20:28

We didn't mean to leave the twilight zone, but there was a ghost net and Rowan gasped and a rush of anxiety desperate to explain what had happened.

00:20:38

Yes, child, I know, Hesper said with a gleaming smile, then sobered.

00:20:45

You saved 100 lives in that net today and thousands more besides. By taking it out of the sea.

00:20:53

These Nets pose a grave threat to us all, and there are too many of them adrift in the sea.

00:21:00

There are too few.

00:21:01

Sea talkers to find and eliminate them.

00:21:06

You've seen the horror of only one of these abandoned traps, and as wondrous as the ocean is, there are dark realities we have to contend with as well.

00:21:18

We understand Hesper, Rosalie said quietly.

00:21:22

We'll do whatever we can to deal with these Nets as we find them and we'll tell others too.

00:21:28

These ghost Nets have to be caught and removed.

00:21:32

Hesper nodded.

00:21:33

You've passed your second test child.

00:21:37

And as he said this, they felt power raced over their tails where their tails had been only gleaming silver with golden green speckles.

00:21:46

They now had an ombre transition of colors.

00:21:51

Shining silver and golden specks in the top third shifted into a gradient through a series of Blues.

00:21:58

The same as the transition from the sunlight layer to the deepening Blues of the twilight zone.

00:22:04

The base of their tail was almost black, while their tail fins still possessed the same green, gold, speckled silver present at the top of their tails.

00:22:14

You can rest for a time if you'd like, Hesper offered.

00:22:19

But you cannot leave the ocean until your third test is complete.

00:22:25

The kids looked at their newly decorated tails and at one another.

00:22:29

In unspoken agreement, they nodded.

00:22:32

We can do it hesper.

00:22:33

We are OK.

00:22:35

Rosalie said.

00:22:36

Please take us to our third test, Rowan added.

00:22:40

Hester regarded them for long moment as of making sure he thought they really could move on to the next.

00:22:45

Test very well, he agreed.

00:22:49

Follow me.

00:22:51

And the three of them began their descent down to the bottom of the twilight zone, passed an ever stranger and more curious panoply of luminescent creatures.

00:23:01

Down in search of the midnight zone.

00:23:06

That's it for this week, but stay tuned for how Rowan and Rosalie take on the third part of their journey to becoming honorary mermaids in the midnight zone of the ocean.

00:23:19

Remember, you're part of the story too.

00:23:23

What did you think of this story?

00:23:26

What did you imagine when you were listening?

00:23:31

We'd love to hear your part of the story.

00:23:35

If you and your grown up want, you can share your thoughts or a picture you drew with our Foggy Oak podcast family.

00:23:44

You might find it easiest to share with us on Facebook at Foggy Oak Farm, but we have lots of options on our website, foggyoakfairytales.com.

00:23:56

You can also check out pictures from the farm and learn more about us.

00:24:01

Thanks for being part of the story and I hope you'll join us next week.