Onika — Kim Carrington

Onika is a ten-year old girl who has just moved from Jacksonville to Orlando, Florida. She excels in science and dreams of working alongside her dad when she grows up. Her marine biologist father, Dr. Martin Benson, has just accepted a position as the director of marine life, at Tropical Bay Park, and has moved the family to central Florida over the summer. Onika looks forward to the move, and anticipates helping her father as much as possible during her summer break from school.As the family settles into live in Orlando over the summer Onika is surprised just how much goes into getting situated in the family's new home. Initially, she thinks she will be going to volunteer at Tropical Bay with her father every day, but soon learns that she is needed around the house to do chores and keep her brother Taj company, when the kid next door is unavailable to play ball or video games. Onika usually enjoys playing with Taj; however, since the move to Orlando and the lure of her dad's exciting new job, she can hardly imagine any place else she would rather be. But more often than she would like, she is Taj's playmate as Jade, her older sister, is free to go out with her new friends. Jade's escapades come to an abrupt halt and Onika is now free to go with her dad to Tropical Bay as much as possible. Onika enjoys going to Tropical Bay and becomes friends with all of the staff. Her favorite worker is Nikki, who is assigned to her favorite dolphin, Boomer. Onika likes every aspect of working with the mammals. Along with learning how to teach them tricks, she also learns how and what to feed them, the care and control of their environments, as well as what to do for them when they are ill. All of this information comes in handy in the weeks ahead.At one point during the story, Dr. Benson comes home and announces over dinner that he is going on a working vacation, and that Tropical Bay is allowing him to take the whole family. Everyone is thrilled, but especially Onika, for it is a chance to work with her dad and gain more education into the field she hopes to one day share with him. In addition, it will be a chance for her to have fun with Jade and Taj before school starts. While the family is on vacation in Key West they go on a seaplane excursion to the Dry Tortugas National Park. Everyone enjoys walking through the fort, snorkeling, and lunch before heading back to the hotel. But it is during the plane ride back to the hotel that the craft has engine trouble. The plane crashes into the Gulf of Mexico. Except for a few minor bumps and bruises, everyone is okay and accounted for, everyone except Onika. Well into the night the Coast Guard searches for the young girl, but to no avail. When day breaks, Onika awakens sore and bruised, and alone on an island. She calls out and then searches for her family, only to realize that she is alone. She sits down and starts to cry, fearing that her family is dead. Onika cries herself to sleep and awakens later to look for help again. As she gazes out over the expanse of the water in search of her family, she sees a dolphin. As Onika walks along the water's edge and the mammal follows her. She ventures out into the water and notes that the playful bottle-nosed dolphin is not afraid of her; in fact, he begins to perform tricks for her. The two begin to interact and before long, Onika sees just how intelligent the dolphin is by demonstrating the commands he can follow. Onika no longer feels alone on the deserted island, because when she looks out into the water, she can see the creature. The next morning when she awakens, she looks for the dolphin and finds him. As he is her only companion, she names him Slick, because of all the smooth tricks he can perform.It is around noon and it is incredibly hot. Onika is feeling weak yet she goes out into the water to visit with Slick. It is then that she hears a helicopter overhead. She looks up and begins to wave her arms over her head frantically. With the glaring sun beating down on her she slips off Slicks back as she faints. Seconds later her body disappears under the water, and the Coast Guard rushes to save her. Once back on the island of Key West, Onika is rushed to Lower Keys Medical Center. Onika has aspirated water and has stopped breathing. Her family has arrived and the doctors are working frantically to treat her. Much later, her vitals become stable and the breathing tube is then removed. When she can talk, Onika astounds everyone with not only her survival, but the tale she tales of the Dolphin that pushed her as close to shore as he could without getting stuck himself. She tells of the tricks he can do, and how intelligent he is. Before long, every news station is camped outside of the hospital hoping to get an interview with her. When Onika finds out that there are water parks from all over the world looking for this amazing creature, she refuses to help them find Slick.