And We Wait… is a story about survival along the Gulf of Mexico during the worst oil spill in US history. Massive amounts of crude oil have been pouring into the Gulf's pristine waters since the last week of April 2010. June 1st marked the beginning of hurricane season—a phenomenon that is faced with dread each year for those living in vulnerable areas. This year, it has an added threat: the oil could well get into the Gulf Stream and wash ashore along the Gulf coast of Florida, up through the Atlantic side and across to Europe. Florida's Gulf coast is a haven for countless shore and wading birds and its waters sustain dolphins, turtles, manatees and myriad fish species. We've already seen the devastation the oil has created along the coasts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida's panhandle. Here, on the gulf's southern shores, everything is shrouded in uncertainty for our future and the survival of wildlife. Through it all, this wildlife continues to thrive and carry out the business of daily living with joy and exuberance.



The major focus of the book is the discovery of young osprey chicks on Sanibel Island, Florida--one of the many barrier islands on the Gulf. Patricia Downey, a wildlife photographer, narrates their story.