PROLOGUE
THE AQUANAUTS’ HEADQUARTER
(Back in the Headquarter, the Aquanauts are getting ready to steer off to the S.E.A Aquarium with their captains named JADE and CAO. Everyone is in seventh heaven while they await for their GUP-N to arrive)
CAPTAIN JADE
“Let’s get on board, Aquanauts!”
AQUANAUTS
“Yessss, Captain Jade! Can’t wait to meet our marine friends!”
(After sailing the high seas, the AQUANAUTS finally arrive at the entrance of S.E.A Aquarium where they meet up with another captain named JOAN)
(Without further delay, they plunge deep into the blue sea to learn about the wondrous world of sea marine right on the ocean floor)
SCENE ONE
AT THE SHIPWRECK
(The first stop they come to, the Aquanauts stand before a shipwreck which conspicuously became the playground to shoals of large silvery fish, sea turtles and stingrays. Thick layers of marine algae covered the decks once full of life and adventures)
(Suddenly, the Aquanauts spy something long and grey in the water)
AQUANAUTS
“It must be another boat. What else could it be?”
CAPTAIN JADE
“It’s a HAMMERHEAD SHARK!!!!!!”
(The Aquanauts frantically swim away but the frenzy of sharks are too many that it seems impossibly difficult to avoid them
Hence, the Aquanauts swim on and on,
farther and farther….
Until finally, they come to the entrance of a cave)
SCENE TWO
IN THE CAVE
AQUANAUTS
“Wow! These creatures are incredibly HUGE!”
“Look at how graceful they move forward and backward with their undulating lower fins.”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“Aquanauts, these are called Leopard Moray Eel. They spend most of their time hidden in the caves or rock crevices on the bottom of the sea. They are predators to octopuses, squid, fish, crabs and cuttlefish.”
(The cave is so small that it barely has enough room to fit the team. Soon, the Aquanauts head off to the next destination)
SCENE THREE
JUST KEEP SWIMMING
(On their way, the Aquanauts swim past big fish and little fish. Striped fish and spotted fish. Even seahorses and lionfish)
CAPTAIN JOAN
“The Red LionFish are kinda small hidden in the background among the coral reef.
Masters of disguises, lionfish rely on camouflaging and lightning-fast reflexes to capture prey, mainly fish and shrimps. They are venomous creatures whose stings are extremely painful to humans.
The bright yellow coloured sea creatures in the foreground are actually seahorses. Unusual among fish, seahorses do not have scales but are covered in bony plates. They have long snouts, which they use to suck up food, and their eyes can move independently of each other. Male seahorses help their partners carry their babies until the entire pregnancy is over. ”
AQUANAUTS
“Awwww…….. That’s so sweet.”
SCENE FOUR
DEEP BLUE SEA
(The Aquanauts continue to venture in their Gup-N and finally arrive to a mystical zone where they behold breathtaking view of the deep blue sea)
CAPTAIN JADE
“It is sooooooooooooo beautiful here. These are the Manta rays I have been talking about back at the Headquarter.”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“The Manta rays are species of ray in the family of Mobulidae, and one of the largest of rays in the world. It is different from the stingrays you can see here on the ocean floor. Manta rays do not have venomous barbed stingers like the stingrays. Their eyes are located on the sides of the head and the gill slits are on the underside of its body.”
CAPTAIN JADE
“Why do small fishes enjoy swimming right under the wing of the Reef Manta’s?”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“This has got to do with the velocity of the Reef Manta Rays when they glide across the oceans. The smaller fishes such as Remoras and Cobias are frequent hitchhikers who enjoy staying in protection as well as getting themselves drifted within this vortex field.”
CAPTAIN JADE
“Yesss! Just like Marlin and Dory who hitched a ride to Sydney so effortlessly on the East Australian Current in Finding Nemo!!!”
SCENE FIVE
DOLPHIN LAGOON
(Meanwhile…..)
CAPTAIN JOAN
“What’s that whistling sound I hear? Come, follow me…….”
(Next, the Aquanauts find themselves trapping water in a warm lagoon. Suddenly, Captain Jade let out a cry of excitement)
CAPTAIN JADE
“I think I saw a silhouette of something long and grey…. There! It reappears again!”
AQUANAUTS
“It’s a DOLPHIN!!!!!!!”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“Hmm…. It is not common to see the dolphins playing around where divers are. Consider ourselves very lucky today! Make a guess. Guess how many fins does a dolphin have?”
AQUANAUTS
“Ermm……. FIVE??”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“Yep, they have five fins namely dorsal fin, pectoral fin and the flukes. ”
“Have you wondered how do they breathe?”
CAPTAIN JADE
“As dolphins are mammals, not fish. Fish breathe through their gills. Dolphins blow through their blowholes, don’t they? ”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“Absolutely. Dolphins breathe through a nostril, called a blowhole, located right on top of their heads. When dolphins surface, they will blow the old air out of their lungs, creating a plume of spray and suck in fresh air. ”
CAPTAIN JADE
“Wouldn’t they get drowned when they are fast asleep?”
CAPTAIN JOAN
“Well, dolphins do take a lot of cat-napping where half of their brain stays awake at a low level of alertness to allow them to take in air from time to time. This is also the reason why dolphins sleep with only an eye shut.”
AQUANAUTS
“AMazing dolphins. Doubt we can ever have enough rest should our bodies function like the marine mammals.”
(All adventures can wait now given such a rare opportunity to come so close with the dolphins.
Till the silhouette disappears…. Our Aquanauts are ever willing to resume their adventures)
SCENE SIX
SEA STAR ENCOUNTER
(Several moments later…..
The Aquanauts stop to meet and greet at the STAR attraction: Sea star
All Aquanauts including the Captains await patiently to get their hands on the sea star. We wish we could adopt one and care for it back at the Headquarter)
(The day draws to a close as the Aquanauts swim to the surface of the water)
SCENE SEVEN
BIDDING GOODBYE
(We sadly bid goodbyes to Captain Joan and get on board the GUP-N for our return trip to Aquanauts Headquarter)
AQUANAUTS
“Thank you so much, Captain Joan, for your time and great knowledge. We enjoy ourselves very much in the S.E.A Aquarium!”
(There is scarcely a ripple on the face of the deep…..
Only mirrors of our fondest memories from this trip)
The End
Niwa Schoolhouse 