Four on the fourth

I was swimming on the morning of July 4th when I saw these four Eagle Rays ahead. The three closer ones were clearly younger pups and had a good deal of curiosity about the big, clumsy creatures they’d encountered. They were quick to show how good they were at swimming, curving around in graceful arcs, diving and soaring effortlessly. Back and forth they went, swimming quite close at times. In the meantime, the fourth ray, which I think was probably the mother, hung around at a discreet distance, monitoring the situation. I imagined her thinking, ‘We’re never going to get anywhere if those three don’t get a move on.’