Pedrito was a ten-year-old boy who was afraid of the sea. His mother, who was a marine biologist, took him to the beach from time to time to show him how beautiful the place was, but Pedrito never went in the water.

His phobia of beach water was so great that he never even got his feet wet. As soon as a wave came near him, he would runner as if he were a water monster.

He would play in the sand making beautiful sculptures or fantastic castles. Then, he would walked away to watch them being destroyed by some mischievous wave. Thus, all morning on the Sunday walk, Pedrito would sit patiently once again and make another great work of art in the hope that it would last longer than the last one.

One day his mother told him to put on his bathing suit because they were going to the beach. Pedrito grumbled and said, "Again! I don't like going to the beach, mom..."

This time I have a big surprise for you, said his mom with a mischievous smile.

This time I have a big surprise for you, said his mom with a naughty smile.

When he arrived at the beach, Pedrito's mom gave him a mask and a snorkel. Pedrito put it on but couldn't breathe through his nose.

The mother showed Pedrito how to breathe through the snorkel. Then she invited him to walk on the sand by the sea. I'm going to show you my secret place, she said with great tenderness to her son.

Pedrito had a feeling that something wonderful was going to happen to him that day. With much fear he walked along the beach. They arrived at a small, discreet bay.

Pedrito's mother told him: put on your mask and breathe as I showed you. Sit down on this stone in the water near me and look what's in the water.

Pedrito did everything his mother told him. He sat down on the stone and his two legs were immersing n the water. Then he bent down a little so that his head was in the water too. Ah, what a surprise he was to see some coral full of flowers. The emotion was so great that he pulled his head out of the water wanting to tell his mother what he had seen.

“Mommy, Mommy, how beautiful the sea is! There are many colorful flowers and everything looks very beautiful”. His smile was bright.

The mother smiled and explained that those were not flowers but sea worms that lived in the coral.

That afternoon, when he returned to his house, Pedrito was a different kid. Thinking and enthusiastic, he said to his mother: “I want to be a marine biologist, like you, Mom, so that I can get to know all the beautiful animals in the sea”.

The sea is beautiful but it also has dangerous animals, his mother told him.

“It doesn't matter! If I study a lot I will know everyyyyything about the sea and then I will teach other children how beautiful it is, like you have taught me today”