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You drift deeper into the water, the light fading above you. A shape moves through the blue — massive, silent, and impossibly gentle. Before you can swim away or even breathe properly, the whale glides right toward you. This moment changes everything.

Writing Task: Describe this small moment

Write the scene where you, the person in the water, meets the whale. Focus on tension, scale, and the feeling of being face-to-face with something enormous and alive.

Things to include:

• what the water feels and sounds like around you
• the first moment you notice the whale’s presence, how its size, movement, and calmness affect the scene
• the thoughts running through your mind, the exact moment the whale turns, looks, or reacts

Keep the writing centred on this single underwater moment — not a full story.

Extension – The Whale’s Perspective
Write 5–7 extra lines from the whale’s point of view. How does the whale interpret the small creature drifting near it? Is it curious? Protective? Confused? Unbothered? Let the shift in perspective add depth to your scene.

Then, turn it into a full narrative.

How would you feel being underwater, surrounded by the vast ocean?

What sounds might you hear while diving in the ocean?

How would you describe the size of a whale compared to yourself?

What do you think it would be like to come face-to-face with a whale?

Why might a whale be gentle despite its large size?

What thoughts would you have if you suddenly saw a whale approaching?

How does the underwater environment change the way we perceive scale and movement?

What do you think the whale might feel when it sees a diver?

How can the presence of the whale change the mood of the scene?

What are some reasons a whale might react to a human in the water?