Flower Hat Ladies vs. the Leatherback Tramps

Two baby leatherback turtles named Demo and Cori, who were siblings, who had hatched together and travelled together, were starving, but they were far away from home and in a part of the ocean where what they normally ate was missing.

“I guess this is one of those problems of travelling,” Demo said to Cori. “We have come to a different place, to a different ocean. We must try a different food as well. If we travel we must adapt. Else we will not survive. See anything worth eating over here?"

“Yes,” Cori said. “What do you think of those two jellies? Those are jellies - aren't they?"

“Too pretty to be jellies," Demo said, doubtfully. "See the colors?"

"I'm sure they are jellies," Cori said. "Should we... you know... test them out?"

So Demo and Cori swam toward the jellies, both of whom began to look alarmed.

“I’m flower hat jelly,” the first said. “Too beautiful to be eaten. I'll hate you if you eat me.”

“I’m also a flower hat jelly,” the second jelly said. "I’m even more pretty. I'll truly hate you if you eat me, so you shouldn't."

“Well,” the two leatherback turtles said, looking at each other. “What should we eat then?”

"Not us!" the flower hat jellies said. "We are two ladies and you're like... tramps."

"But tramps have to eat too," Demo said.

“Those things over there,” the jellies said, pointing in another direction. “There are a lot of those things in the ocean. They look like us, float like us, are transparent as we are. They are also DELICIOUS. Trust us. Every turtle who tried them LOVED them. They couldn't stop eating it. They ate and ate and ate... like it was a buffet and there is so much you could NOT finish. It's good."

"Okay," Demo said. "Appreciate the tip. Thank you for your help.”

"Very kind of you to suggest this new thing we could eat," Cori said.

"No problem,” the jellies sniffed, in unison. "You're welcome. Good luck! Goodbye!”

The jellies pulsed past the baby leatherbacks. As they drifted past him, Demo took a nip. It was as delicious as he had imagined so he tore off another strand and chomped through it.

“NO!” the jellies shouted. “That's not right. That's not fair. Why can't you eat that plastic over there like the other turtles do? Choke on that, you horrible creatures! Choke on it!"

"Well," Demo said. "We used to eat that junk and it nearly killed us. So, now we don't."

"Why were you talking to us then?" the jellies yelled. "Asking us all these questions?"

"Well, that's how we find out!" Cori said. "If you talk back, we know you're not plastic."

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If only it were this simple. World-wide plastic pollution is a horrible problem and all kinds of marine like - whether whales or turtles or fishes - are eating and choking on a diet of plastic.