The Green and the Violet

The Blue Lagoon

The sky was painted a vibrant red as the equatorial sun slowly sank below the horizon, causing the peaceful ocean to shimmer in the fading light. The choruses of the ever present seagulls mingled with the constant drums of the waves crashing against the white, sandy shore while a pod of dolphins leaped and played among the surf. Further ashore on the tropical, uninhabited island, terrestrial hermit crabs combed along the beach, foraging for any new shells or scavenging whatever the sea spat out, ignoring the giant turtlelike vessel that was stationed nearby, the tranquil waters gently caressing its massive legs as it laid motionless as the setting sun reflected off the turquoise carapace.
Not far from the turtle ship, Jimmy and Koki were making preparations for the bonfire, the technician arranging the firewood while the redheaded pilot was busy gathering the snacks from his secret compartment.
"Hey, Jimmy."said the computer whizz, looking proudly upon her handiwork. The blocks of firewood were carefully arranged to look like the signature Wild Kratts paw print insignia. "How's it look?"
"Sweet. Not too shabby,"he answered, smiling as he gave two thumbs up.
"Thanks. Say, can you pass me those matches and that lighter fluid?"she asked, pointing to said items sitting in the sand next to the Tortuga pilot.
"Sure thing, Koki,"
But no sooner had JZ reached out for the matches and lighter fluid when a figure erupted out of the sand, revealing a humanoid sand monster! The creature stood fully erect, long arms waving wildly, shrieking at the top of its lungs, causing the Tortuga pilot to scream in terror as he tried to run. But in his flight, Jimmy tripped over one of the nearby logs which consequently sent him crashing right into Koki.
From his place within the mound of sand, a certain Kratt in blue was laughing to his heart's content, grains of sand falling from his body as he clutched his gut. Martin continued to merrily sob with laughter, completely deaf to a yell of pain as Jimmy emerged from behind the log with an angry hermit crab clinging to his nose. Koki rose to her feet, muttering curses as she dusted herself and shook off any loose sand from her afro.
   "Ah-how!"whimpered the pizza-eating pilot, trying to pry the shelled crustacean's vice-like grip off his nose. By that time, the Kratt in blue decided that he had had his fun and raced off to assist his friend. After a half minute's struggle, the two finally managed to free Jimmy from the crab's claw.
"Sorry, little guy."he said apologetically to the hermit crab that now sat in the palm of his hand. With that, Martin gently put the crustacean down upon the sand where he continued his foraging elsewhere.
"Martin! Quit seahorsing around!"scolded the Tortuga technician. "We're in the middle of preparing the bonfire for tonight."
"Aww, lighten up, Koki. I was just having a little fun,"replied the blue prankster merrily. Koki was not amused. Martin may have been the oldest one on the team, but that didn't mean he was the most mature.
"Since when did scaring the barnacles off of me qualify as something fun?"asked JZ dryly as he rubbed his sore nose.
The Kratt in blue shrugged. "Well, Chris isn't around. Who else was I supposed to prank?"
"Oh sure. It's all fun and games until someone loses an eye."replied the pilot.
"Then it's pirate games!"Martin exclaimed before doing his best buccaneer impression. "Argh! Ahoy there, mateys!" He then preceded by waving a stick around as though it was a sword.
"Since you got nothing better to do, why don't you come help with the preparations?" suggested the computer whizz, her voice a little gentler. "I'd ask Aviva, but she's not here either. That and she hasn't been answering her Creaturepod,"
After looking around the campsite, Jimmy Z then voiced the question on everyone's mind as he helped himself to a bag of marshmallows. "Speaking of which, where are Chris and Aviva?"
****Elsewhere...****
  Several miles away from the bonfire preparations, two figures were seated side by side on a low bending palm tree, watching the sun slowly set below the horizon, the tide's slow and steady push and pull gently caressing their feet. Peaceful silence reigned as Aviva rested her head upon Chris' right shoulder as she looked out to sea, marveling over the
radiance of the sun, even as it was retiring for the day; the way it caused the calm, tranquil waters to shimmer and shine in its reflection; and the way it turned a clear blue sky into a vibrant masterpiece. The sun never failed to captivate her imagination, and every time it reminded the inventor of how small and insignificant she and everything else on the earth was in the grand scheme of life. Not even all the knowledge in the world could dull that perception.
At her side, the Kratt in green was also admiring the fading sun's natural beauty. He too, was always fascinated by the wonders of the natural world, watching the sun rise and set was no exception; it had been a favorite pastime since he was a boy. Oftentimes, Chris would steal a couple of glances in his girlfriend's direction when he thought she wasn't looking, marveling over how much more beautiful she looked in the diminishing light, wearing her summer attire, a flowery wreath over her head, her chocolate brown hair flowing freely over her shoulders, unrestrained by the usual ponytail. Overall, the creature adventurer was happy to have someone else who shared the same passion for nature other than Martin.
Aviva, however, was fully aware of the young Kratt's glances, so it wasn't long before a mischievous smile crept into her features. Chris casually took another look only for his brown eyes to be in direct contact with her stormy gray ones, which now looked brown in the sunlight.
   Knowing that he had been found out, he began to look away shyly, blushing, earning a giggle from the inventor. But he didn't go far when he felt her hand gently cup his cheek before she pulled him into a quick kiss. For a brief moment he hesitated, eyes wide open, but then boldness took over and he returned the kiss with a little more passion, wrapping his arms around her. Once they parted for much needed air, the pair touched foreheads, both gazing into each other's eyes. No words were exchanged, nor were they needed; their eyes alone spoke of their feelings.
So the pair continued to gaze upon the radiant sky, neither saying a word, both absentmindedly touching hands. As he took a deep breath of the tropical breeze, Chris took a moment to reflect on all that had occurred that day.
**** Earlier....****
(BG Music: Blue Planet Seasonal Seas by George Fenton)
The morning was bright and clear without a single cloud in the sky and the ocean was as smooth and as clear as glass. Stationed on the placid waters, just offshore of a small, uncharted island, the terrapin shape of the Tortuga HQ laid motionlessly as though it was resting on a plane to glass, rippled occasionally by the gentle breeze or some surfacing marine creature.
From her place leaning against the railing of the balcony, Aviva was admiring the serenity of the azure waters, and took a deep breath of the salty ocean breeze. Apart from the choruses of the seabirds and the ocean's low hum, tranquil silence reigned over the lagoon of Maldives.
*record scratch*
"Yeah!"
"Wahoo!"
(BG Music: Into Yesterday by Sugar Ray)
  Or so she thought. The inventor's peaceful trance was broken when two flashes, one blue and the other green, jumped down from the turtle ship's upper carapace before dropping into the water with a tremendous SPLASH! Despite her first impulse to duck and shield herself from the blast, the impact was enough to drench Aviva in a downpour of seawater, causing her to laugh in good cheer as she peered down below upon the two culprits. Looking overboard, she saw none other than Martin and Chris, both wearing their wet suits and masks.
"Hey Aviva!"greeted the two creature adventurers cheerfully as they waved up at the Tortuga inventor.
"Well buenas días to you too!"called said inventor, glancing down. She then asked curiously: "Where are you two heading off to this time?"
"Oh! We're heading over to Hanifaru Bay to see some Manta rays," Chris answered.
"And or maybe take a cruise around the reef."added Martin.
"What do you say, Aviva?"asked the Kratt in green with a beaming smile. "Wanna come with?"
For a while Aviva seemed to ponder it over before racing back inside the HQ.
"I'll take that as a no."murmured Chris in slight disappointment.
"Well, looks like it's just you and me–" but the older Kratt had hardly finished when–
"¡Bala de cañón!"
A flash of violet purple flew from over the balcony, landing right next to the unsuspecting Kratt Brothers in a tremendous SPLASH! As Martin and Chris recovered from that unexpected tidal ball, shaking their heads dry, Aviva promptly surfaced, donned in her own mask and wetsuit. Needless to say, both creature adventurers burst into laughter at the stunt.
"Awesome! Good one, Aviva!"praised the bros simultaneously, thumbs up in approval.
**** Half an Hour Later...****
The trio glided across the sea, courtesy of their streamlined Manta Riders teleported by Jimmy Z back in the HQ. Along the way, they cruised in and around the labyrinths of coral reef systems, encountering the menagerie of various colorful reef fish and other creatures that called the unique aquatic habitat home; schools of Moorish idols, Blue surgeonfish, butterfly fish, blue Hippo tangs were just a few of the reef's countless residents. They had even caught glimpses of a Yellowmargin moray eel peering outside its lair for potential meals; a family of tiny clownfish darting in and out of their home within the stinging tentacles of the sea anemones; the beautiful but deadly lionfish whose tall dorsal spines made him resemble greatly the mane of his land dwelling namesake; various species of rays, several docile Nurse, Gray and Whitetip reef sharks that patrolled above the labyrinths of coral like great birds of prey searching for any sick or wounded fish; and a large Green sea turtle lazily cruising along reef, using its large, paddle-like flippers to effortlessly fly through the water.
  This was a completely different experience for Aviva; it wasn't like seeing such natural spectacles from the relative comfort of the Tortuga HQ or from within the Amphi-Sub. She was in the creatures' world, seeing through their eyes, abiding by their rules. Maybe this is why the Kratt bros enjoy this so much, she concluded. How often does an outsider get to come to remote and wild places to see what few people get the chance to see?
  "Magnifico,"she said, marveling at all the aquatic sights and wonders as they passed along the reef.
"It never gets old, does it?"replied Chris, zooming in on her right side.
"Nope."chimed his brother from the left. The two them exchanged knowing glances.
"Say Chris. You up for a race?"asked Martin with a smug grin on his face.
"Oh yeah! Any day. Any time."challenged the younger Kratt with a matching smirk.
"Hold on there, Kratt Bros. I just had these Manta Riders upgraded, so try not to destro–" but before Aviva could continue, Martin suddenly took off at full speed, leaving a trail of bubbles in his wake.
"Last one there's a mummified parasite!"he yelled excitedly.
"Hey!"cried Chris before he followed "Oh no you don't!"
"Guys! Get back here!" Try as Aviva might, the racing creature adventurers were already out of earshot, laughing and whooping as they tried to outswim one another. The exasperated inventor heaved a sigh. "Oh brothers," Options limited, the inventor sped off after them.
After the arduous task of dodging and evading several coral barriers and rocky undersea outcrops, Aviva managed to catch up to the racing Manta Riders who showed no signs of slowing down.
Chris smiled upon seeing the inventor coming up along his side. "It looks like Player Number Three has entered the race!"
"Well I happen to be an Ace Manta Rider, so see y'all at the finish line!"boasted Martin.
"Not if I get there first!"countered the green rider overconfidently.
So that's how those two wanna play it, she thought with a smirk as her competitive nature, which had bubbled up from the wild chase, was slowly built up.
"Famous last words."said the inventor in a singsong voice before taking off. "Catch me if you can!"
For the rest of the journey, the three raced through the coral maze, weaving in and out of many curious rock formations, caverns, and scattering shoals of fish along the way.
"Sorry!"hollered the Kratt in blue as he unintentionally startled a huge school of streamlined barracudas, earning a slap from the tail of one of them. "Oww! I said I was sorr–" Martin never got finish that sentence as he came face-to-face with a set of formidable jaws. He gulped, eyes widened in dread.
  Meanwhile, Aviva was now toe-to-toe with Chris as they now reached more open water where the Manta Riders were free to jet at top speed, unhindered by any corals. The two competitors exchanged taunts as they raced on, cheering as they were occasionally leaping straight out of the water or making twirls and loop de loops beneath the surface, leaving two intertwining trails of bubbles in their wake.
Before too long, their destination was straight ahead; a wide, shallow sandbar surrounded by a semi ovular reef with a small, vegetated sand cay nearby in the western corner.
"Hey, Chris! Are you hungry?"she asked almost innocently.
Chris raised an eyebrow. "Hungry? Why?"
"'Cause you're about to eat my bubbles!" Without further warning, Aviva hit maximum overdrive, flooring her Rider at such breakneck speed that would make even a sailfish jealous. The stunned Kratt was left behind with a beard full of bubbles.
  "Woo-hoo!"she cheered upon surfacing. "There's a new Manta Rider racing champion in the sea, and she is one hundred percent pure Aviva!" It wasn't long before the Kratt in green caught up.
"No fair. You went turbo!"protested Chris in mock severity. Aviva simply smirked.
"All's fair in love and war, Cariño, "whispered the inventor as she removed her mask, planting a kiss on the green diver's cheek, earning a blush and a goofy smile from the latter.
Can't argue with that, he thought blissfully until he realized that something was missing. Chris once again submerged, followed promptly by Aviva.
"Hey. Where's Martin?"he asked.
"Aghhh!!!!" In that moment, the older Kratt zoomed right into their view, maneuvering his Manta Rider wildly in different directions. Not far behind him were the snapping jaws of an angry barracuda itching to take a bite of him. The chaotic scene played out for several moments until the torpedo-shaped fish managed to catch up to the source of its disturbance, sinking its razor sharp teeth into Martin's rear end.
"OWWWWWW!!!!!"
The spectating couple visibly winced.
"Oooh."said Chris with a shudder.
"Ay, that's gotta hurt."mumbled Aviva.
"You okay, bro?"asked Chris as he swam up to Martin.
"I'm alright, though I don't think I'll be able to sit for a week,"replied the fish-bitten Kratt, rubbing his sore spot. Chris could be heard chuckling at his brother's misfortune.
Martin was not amused. "It's not funny, Chris."
In that instant, the younger Kratt could hold it no more, and burst into hysterical laughter, clutching his stomach to ease the pain.
"Guess that makes you the butt of that joke!" Chris joked, earning a deadpan stare from his brother and an amused eye roll from the inventor. "You shoulda called me bro! I would've been more than happy to get to the bottom of this situation!" As his obnoxious sibling laughed on, Martin grabbed a certain disk and sample from his countless pockets, casting Chris a devilish smirk.
"Chris?"
The younger Kratt recovered from his laughing fit, only to see Martin looming over him in his Giant Squid Power Suit, a vengeful grin playing across his face. He gulped in dread.
"Run."
Aviva was busy admiring the football field-sized bay when two flashes of green and blue whizzed right past her in a cloud of bubbles.
"I'msorryl'msorryl'msorry!"chanted Chris on his Manta Rider, frantically trying to dodge Martin's elongated arms and tentacles.
"Just wait till I get my tentacles on you!"boasted the blue cephalopod, hot on his brother's tail.
Forgetting her surroundings altogether, the inventor watched this comical scene unfold with an ever growing grin. Jimmy's right, she thought, giggling at the brothers' antics. These two could definitely be comedians.
The blue 'Krattken' finally managed to capture his quarry, shaking his unfortunate brother about with his ten gelatinous arms. Chris grunted and yelled while struggling in vain to break free. He managed to pull away one set of suction cups only for another two to glue themselves to his mask.
"Resistance is futile!"Martin playfully taunted in his extraterrestrial voice as he held Chris in a headlock while the latter struggled and gagged in the blue squid's grasp, almost as though he was being strangled. This proved too much for Aviva who clutched her stomach in hard, uncontrollable laughter, mirthful tears falling from her eyes. However, the inventor's laughter at other people's expense was soon interrupted as a great shadow draped itself overhead, getting bigger and bigger. A gasp escaped her lips as she glanced upwards.
"Guys!"she called out to the still quarreling Kratt Brothers, trying to get their attention. "Look at this!"
The two creature adventurers abruptly halted their activities altogether and glanced in the direction Aviva motioned. Once they had, their eyes grew as wide as saucers. The Krattken then untangled each of his tentacles off of Chris whose eyes never left their position as he absentmindedly pushed the deactivation button of his brother's CPS, returning him to his human form.
"Whoah! A Manta ray!"exclaimed the pair in unison.
The giant Manta paid the humans no mind as it soared above them, exposing its white underbelly. For all its size, the ray moved with an elegant grace, slowly flapping its winglike pectoral fins, giving it the appearance of an underwater jet plane. It appeared to be almost weightless in its element.
"Look at the way he flaps those giant wings!"remarked the Kratt in blue as they all observed the huge Manta moving in a flying motion through the ocean.
"Up to a twenty two foot wingspan,"said Chris."it's like he's flying underwater."
"Magnifico," murmured Aviva, eyes never leaving the oceangoing giant.
The trio were soon in for a surprise.
"And here come some more!"heralded the Kratt in green, pointing to the edge of the bay. "Come one, come all!"
Out of the blue depths, even more Mantas gracefully glided into the shallower waters in vast numbers, swooping into the bay like giant bats. In just a matter of minutes, the small, enclosed underwater bay was crowed with hundreds of the cartilaginous fish.
"Wow."whispered the inventor, awestruck by the sight of the great multitudes. "So many."
"Yeah. Up to two hundred or more gather here every year,"replied the Kratt in blue.
"The largest gathering of Manta rays in the world!"yelled Chris with excitement, arms spread out skywards as more and more of the oceanic titans gathered.
"No way!"interjected Aviva in stunned disbelief before asking: "What are so many manta rays doing in such a small area?"
"Some of them have come to see the local cleaning stations for a checkup." As Martin pointed to a grove of corals along the slope, they noticed several rays slowly hovering around, allowing minuscule cleaner fish to consume any dead skin or parasites on their inky black hides, even swimming in between the giant gill slits.
"Others are here for–" Before Chris could go on, a green film drifted into the midst of the rays along the current, causing them to swim more rapidly, oftentimes performing spectacular hydrodynamic maneuvers, barrel rolls, and loop de loops like jets in an aerial dogfight. Others were gliding along the surface, exposing their backs to the tropical sun as powerful thrashes of their wing-like pectoral fins propelled them through the water, their heads tilted slightly upward, enormous mouths wide open.
"Wait. Is that–"
Before Aviva could finish, the Kratt in blue excitedly answered: "Planktonic soup! Manta rays are filter feeders. They're here to take advantage of this all-you-can-eat plankton buffet."
Chris then took over. "See, at this time of year, during the monsoon season, seasonally reversing monsoon currents are driven by monsoon winds, and bring clear oceanic water to the upstream sides of the atolls, or islands."
"As the currents pass over the Maldives ridge, nutrient-rich waters are lifted to the surface, promoting blooms of phytoplankton."added Martin.
"This supports an abundance of zooplankton, which in turn attracts the manta rays to these feeding grounds. Watch out!"
The trio had just enough time to duck as one Manta glided right over their heads, heading straight towards the swarm of plankton that seemed to be multiplying by the minute. The others soon followed in full force until they all looped around to form a living, spinning column of black wings and open mouths. Gone were the graceful underwater dances of before, replaced by chaotic, frenzied spirals.
In the midst of the commotion, Martin, Chris and Aviva had to duck, dodge and dive out of the way of the frenzied cartilaginous jets.
"What's going on?"asked a bewildered inventor, evading another dive bomb from above. "All the Mantas are spinning around like crazy!"
"I don't believe it! It's a cyclone feeding frenzy!"cried the Kratt in green, excitement coursing through his veins.
"Cyclone feeding?"
"When food is plentiful, the Mantas will form a huge, spiraling column. Oof!"Chris had hardly finished when a ray blindly torpedoed from behind, ramming into the unsuspecting Kratt.
Martin then took over. "The column of mantas literally acts like a cyclone, spinning around and around in tight formation. The Mantas create their own current as a vortex forms in the eye of the cyclone and the filtered water moves up towards the surface. Y'oww!" As the Kratt in blue received a wing slap to the face, a newly recovered Chris went on.
"The spinning causes plankton positioned on the outside of the cyclone get pulled closer until they're literally sucked down their gaping mouths. Whoah!" concluded Chris, this time lucky enough to evade yet another frenzied onslaught.
"I get it."said Aviva in newfound understanding. "It's kind of like when you're stirring up the sugar in a cup of coffee with a spoon."
"Exactly."
The cycling Manta rays were not the only creatures to benefit from the planktonic feast; shoals of colorful coral reef fish from far and near have also joined in the frenzied throng. Soon, larger visitors from the open ocean arrived on the scene. The newcomers were massive, about the length of a bus and marked with white spots and stripes along their tan hides, and on their broad, ridged backs that had the distinctive dorsal fins of their family. The two creature adventurers immediately classified them as– "Whale sharks!"
"Sharks?! Giant sharks?!"cried Aviva a bit worriedly. Chris, however, was quick to reassure her.
"Don't worry, Aviva. They're harmless."
"Yeah, despite being the world's largest fish at over forty feet long, whale sharks are filter feeders too, one of only three kinds of sharks that do so, the others being the megamouth and the Basking shark." As if to prove Martin's point, one of the bus-sized leviathans opened its cavernous, seemingly toothless jaws wide as it swam, engulfing a plume of plankton down its gullet.
"Whoah! That was jawsome!"exclaimed the Kratt in blue before gasping in sudden realization. "And that's just what I'm gonna call that guy: Jawsome!"
"Now that's an impressive mouth!"remarked the inventor, awed by the sheer size of the Whale shark's jaws.
"Almost five feet wide!"confirmed Chris, stretching his arms out wide for emphasis. Peering closely, Aviva noticed something rather unusual.
"But where are his teeth? Don't sharks all have razor sharp teeth?"
"Whale sharks don't really need teeth."answered Chris. "The teeth are there, but they're vestigial teeth. They play no role in feeding, and that occurs either by ram filtration, where the shark opens its mouth and swims forward, pushing water and food into the mouth, or by active suction feeding, in which it opens and closes its mouth, sucking in volumes of water that are then expelled through the gills. Like that one right over there," the younger Kratt pointed to an individual Whale shark that opened and closed its mouth to collect both water and food while expelling the former out through the five gill slits on either side.
"Like the Manta rays, the Whale sharks come to Hanifaru Bay year after year to enjoy this all-you-can-eat plankton buffet."
For what seemed like an eternity, the trio continued to watch and marvel at all the activities happening above their heads, from the dozens of Whale sharks gliding through the shoals of plankton, cavernous mouths agape, to the multitudes of Manta rays who carried out their spiraling aquatic dance beneath the waves.
"Isn't it just beautiful?"asked Chris, heaving a blissful sigh as they all rested on the seabed, watching the sharks and rays fly above them like clouds over a shimmering blue sky.
Martin sighed in answer. "I could watch this all day."
  From her place beside the Kratt in green, the inventor gazed upon a large school of fish that mingled with the oceangoing leviathans, their scales glistening in the sunlight, reminding her of the stars at night. Stars, she thought before suddenly jerking up, remembering something. "Umm guys? Aren't we forgetting something?"
The bros thought for a moment until both came to a sudden realization. "The bonfire!"they shouted in unison.
"Time sure does fly when you're creature adventuring."Martin remarked, mounting his Manta Rider. The couple did likewise.
"Let's go!"exclaimed Chris.
  Leaving that magical, otherworldly place behind them, the three retraced their steps back to the Tortuga through the coral labyrinth. Halfway through, they were joined by a traveling school of Bottlenose dolphins, two of which, a male and a female, were frolicking and playing among the tunnels. Taking a closer look, Martin immediately recognized the two individuals.
"It's Whistle and Click!"
In that moment, the two cetaceans swam circles around the trio, whistling and clicking in an excited manner. Martin, Chris and Aviva laughed at their antics.
"Good to see you guys too!"said the older Kratt, stroking Whistle's rubbery skin while Chris and Aviva did the same with Click.
"So, who's up for another race around the reef?"asked Martin, looking for a way to have some fun. The two dolphins nodded eagerly, voicing their agreement as they playfully nudged the Kratt in blue.
"Okay, okay. You guys can play too!"cried Martin in between laughs before he nudged his younger brother. "What about you, Chris? Ready to sink or swim?"
"Oho, you're on, bro!" Chris challenged. "You up for a rematch, Aviva?"
The inventor gave the matter a little thought. "Y'know what? I'm game." She then whispered slyly to Chris: "Especially if I get to beat you again."
"We'll see about that!"her boyfriend remarked confidently.
  "To make things a little more interesting..." At this point, the Kratt in blue beamed a smug grin as he slipped a disk into his CPS before reaching out to touch Whistle. "Activate Dolphin Powers!" A radiant flash of blue light enveloped Martin until it cleared, revealing the streamlined shape of an azure dolphin.
  "Two can play at that game!"hollered Chris as he touched Click, also transforming himself into one of the iconic marine mammals, the only difference being his green coloring.
"The first one to get back to the Tortuga wins."declared the Bottlenose Martin, positioning himself to a standstill just above the sand. The other three cetaceans and Aviva did likewise, the latter on her Manta Rider. For a brief moment, Chris and Aviva exchanged looks, determination blazing in both of their eyes.
"On your mark. Get set. Go!"
  With that acclamation, they were off! Like a blue torpedo, Martin zoomed along the water, propelled by his tail flukes. On either side of the older Kratt, the two dolphins kept a moderate speed, keeping up with the blue cetacean.
"Streamlined bodies, smooth skin, and powerful tails that can generate enough power to cut through the water at 20 miles per hour, you dolphins are like living torpedoes!"he remarked. His escorts trilled in response, as if taking Martin's comment to heart.
  Meanwhile, Chris and Aviva raced as fast as their labyrinthine racetrack would allow them. The pair had taken an alternate route away from the racing dolphins; as far as they were concerned, this was just between the two of them. The Manta rider and the green dolphin were evenly matched in speed and maneuverability, diving and weaving in and around the rocky outcrops, occasionally leaping out of the water and passing shoals of reef fish. Reaching more open water, the pair made twirls and loop de loops beneath the surface, leaving two intertwining trails of bubbles in their wake.
Bottlenose Chris had only just taken the lead ahead of the inventor when CRASH! He collided into an indistinguishable object like a bug on a windshield. The CPS deactivated upon impact.
  "Oooh, that's gotta hurt,"mumbled Aviva from as he came to a standstill, cringing at her clumsy boyfriend's ordeal.
"Oww."he groaned, his voice muffled against the huge mass. "Who put that wall there?"
Aviva swam up to the downed creature adventurer. "Chris? Are you alright?"she asked worriedly.
After detaching himself from the unidentified swimming object that mysteriously materialized out of the depths, the Kratt in green shook his head to ease the throbbing and dizziness within. Upon regaining his senses, he felt around the mysterious wall, which had a smooth, rubbery texture. Suddenly a deep, rumbling arose from within the rubbery wall. His eyes widened in sudden realization as he looked over at both ends, the back end sporting a colossal tail; this was no wall, but a marine creature, and it was absolutely enormous.
The inventor noticed too, and her eyes widened as she began to slowly back away, an awed gasp escaping her lips.
"Ay Dios mio..."
Chris was at her side seconds later, eyes wide as saucers, no less amazed. "Holy sea cow..."he murmured, mouth agape.
"A Blue whale!"
**** This has gotta be the longest chapter I've written so far, and it's only part one. But due to some of my other stories, it may be a while before part two comes up. I've always been fascinated by the ocean, maybe because we know more about the surface of the moon, and also the myriads of weird and wonderful creatures who live there, so I just had to write a chapter on it.
Hanifaru Bay is located in the islands of Maldives, which is just southwest off the coast of India, and its famous for the Manta ray gatherings that happen annually. It's also another one of the places I'd like to visit before I die. But Maldives isn't known for just its Mantas; there's definitely more still to come.. ;)