Sea Babies 4, 5, and 6 swimming with sea turtle by Robert Kline
Sea babies 4, 5 and 6 swimming with sea turtle by Robert Kline
This beautiful Sea babies illustration is from a collection of Sea Maidens (mermaids), Sea Babies (mermaid babies), Sea Masters (merman), pirates and fairies created by renowned artist and novelist Robert Kline of St. Augustine, Florida. The illustrations are from Robert’s novel The Forgotten Voyage of H.M.S. Baci in which Sir Edmund Roberts describes in his log, his various Sea Maiden, Sea Baby and Sea Master sightings. Please visit each of the illustrations to read about the event in which the character was sighted. The following is a hint of what is written in the excerpt for this illustration:
Fair wind. Beclamed. Fair wind. Beclamed. Thus did the good ship HMS Baci stutter toward the Galapagos Islands. Twice in the proximity of the American whaling vessel, Pequod, they saw their once pristine ocean a river of whale blood and viscera. It was after one such encounter that Sir Edmund Roberts, gentleman naturalist and Sea Maiden questor sost solace in the deep.
Over the side and submerged in Halley’s patented diving apparatus, in the company of Gnarly Dan, the ever verbal old salt and the beautiful Captain Constance Daphne Fitzwillie, Sir Edmund watched in silence as a massive sea turtle appeared out of the distant darkness.
“Chelonia mydas,” he noted quietly, stirring Gnarly Dan from his reverie (no doubt involving at least one of his three wives for he alternately smiled and frowned). The old salt squinted and remarked, “I’d call ‘em Sea babies an’ a whopping’ big turtle an’ skip the mumbo jumbo me self, though talkin’ in tongues does seem at please yer honor.”
Captain Constance Daphne smiled at “tongues” and leaned to the window. In the wake of the sea turtle three Sea Babies did indeed appear from the gloom, they languidly following. “Making sport with other sea fauna,” Sir Edmund observed and was immediately corrected by the old salt. “Ya does recall, yer honor, that not three cables back we passed a pacel ‘a whale blood ‘n guts?”
“I could not have missed it, had I tried,” the naturalist answered, curious in spite of himself.
“An ya recollects yer Sea Babies an’ they mums keep track by mum’s sweet air bubbles; the young ‘uns playin’ in ‘em and never strayin’ far?” Gnarly Dan waited and then concluded, well that lake ‘a whale scud has thrown ‘em off. Why them Sea Babies as struck as a blind man inna gale. They’s lost, sure enough, an’ ole Mrs. Turtle’s leadin’ ‘em back.” Clearly, Sir Edmund was impressed. “Sea turtles do that? Consistently?” Gnarly Dan slowly rubbed his gray stubble, nipped a fleck of liquid from the side of his mouth and confided, “Course they does. It’s natural like. All yer sea creatures takes care a one another, lest they’s eatin’. That sea turtle’ll get ‘em back as sure as the mornin’ breeze. They’ll be a sorta homecomin’ an’ she’ll get a hug or two from the sea mums an’ then off she’ll go as sure as kiss my hand.”
“Might could be a little sad, what with the whale bein’ defeated. Be a pity if she has young ‘uns.” The old salt ruminated and then added, “Kno’d a sea cow at adopt a whale baby or two. It happens.” Slowly the foursome glided past the bell into the gloom. Gnarly Dan cleared his throat and concluded, “Bad enough how we’s mucked things up on shore. Don’t seem right we brings our short comin’s under the sea.
Sir Edmund’s journal reads:
Sighted three Sea Babies in the company of a green sea turtle. East of the Galapagos Islands – November 14, 1833
This illustration is available for purchase in the following matted sizes: 5″ x 7″, 8″ x 10″, 11″ x 14″ and an 11″ x 17″ that comes unmatted on a piece of 1/4″ foam board.
