I was out in my boat just off Key Largo when the engine failed. Most of the tourists drive through the Upper Keys on their way to Key West, so I often have the bay to myself. I’m a pretty good driver, but our boat is old, and the motor is tricky.
The wind picked up and the boat began to sway. I felt a little scared and I sat very still, but it was no use. A storm rolled in, and the wind became a gale. I held on as the waves crashed over the side of the boat. I saw a manatee swimming toward the boat. That was the last thing I remember before I fainted.
When I woke, I was startled to see that the light was a strange blue-green, shimmery color. I was even more surprised to see fish swimming past. I realized I was underwater and the manatee was hovering directly in front of me, looking—if I read its expression right—anxious. “How am I still breathing?” I wondered aloud, bubbles coming out of my mouth.
The manatee ducked his head toward my legs but—wait—I no longer had legs. I had a mermaid’s tail instead! “Oh wow,” I gurgled.
Based on details in the text, what was the narrator doing on a boat at the start of the story?
Carrying tourists to Key West
Trying to get back to a mermaid kingdom
Looking for manatees
Traveling alone