Softshell Turtle

Young water hen chicks, Blackie and Lilie, were ecstatic for their first ever night river cruise tour with Turtle Tours and Transportation Pte Ltd . As get-ahead early childhood enrichment programmes were increasingly popular amongst the local bird families, Mrs Lilywalker thought this tour would be a safe way to educate her chicks about the perils of the night wildlife and put their constant begging for night outings to end. She had been frequently chiding them for wanting to go out of the home bush past night fall. Water hens hide and sleep in their chosen home bushes as any incoming intruders would stir up sounds and movement in the bush to warn the slumbering water hens.

Mr Turtle, who was both the tour guide and also the vessel, was punctual for the pickup and parked himself at the front of the water hens' homebush. He had his shell cleaned and shined to receive the guests. Blackie immediately jumped in carelessly, to which Mrs LilyWalker shot a disapproving look. After the water hen family got on board, Mr Turtle slowly cruised away into the dark waters.

Mr Turtle was an excellent night wildlife spotter, and this skill has helped him avoid predators for the past decades. Before pivoting to river cruises, he initially aspired to be a ride-sharing operator, but the local market proved too small for a third competitor (the two main operators being U.B.E.R. and G.R.A.B.). When interesting wildlife was sighted, he would stop at a safe observing distance, extend its long neck and pointed his head in the direction of it. The guests managed to sight some G.R.A.B. owls, water monitors, various snakes in strike poses on low hanging branches creeping above the waters at the sides and some grumpy blue-eyed white cat resting behind the water edge. Mr Turtle shared that on rare occasions, a lucky visitor might spot the big 3: sambar deers, large alligator gars and also crocodiles. Mrs Lilywalker sighed as the chicks were having more fun than she had hoped.

They glided along the river which was flanked by well-maintained rows of flowering plants dimly lit by the underwater lights. Then, Mr Turtle slowed to a stop. He craned his neck to the left and stretched out as long as he could. "A crocodile!", he chimed. At the other end of the river, there were 2 small shining beady eyes poking out of the water surface. The chicks gasped in excitement but Mrs Lilywalker was visibly shaken. She quickly requested that the tour end early and they start heading back.