(I had to type all this out in Word bc it wouldn't fit the limit, BUT! I have the other half in another chat for you to copy-paste here)
It was the day the Octonauts went to the kelp forest to meet someone Shellington knows. They leave the Octopod, Barnacles driving Gup-A, with Shellington, Peso, and Kwazii in the back; and Tweak was driving the Gup-E with Dashi in the front and Tunip in the back.
Dashi looks at the Gup-E’s map Dashi: “Captain, the kelp forest is right ahead!”
Captain Barnacles: “Thanks Dashi! Now let’s hurry, Shellington has someone special he wants us to meet!” He glances back at Shellington, who’s in the back of the Gup-A with Kwazii and Peso.
Kwazii: “Gaaaah, can’t you just tell us who it is?!” He says impatiently, cat tail flicking with anticipation.
Shellington: “Nope! It’s a surprise!”
Peso: “Ooouh~! Is it… someone you’ve known for a long time?”
Shellington: “Actually, I’ve never met him before!”
Kwazii: “Is it… some kind of slimy kelp monster?”
Shellington: “No~!” He smiles, amused by the guesses.
Peso: “Hmm.. Is itttt…. A BUNCH OF KELP HEADING STRAIGHT FOR US!” The small penguin medic shouts in panic.
Clumps of kelp are heading straight for the Gup, and the Captain and Tweak have to swerve around to dodge them.
Kwazii: “Yarr.. The water’s full o’ kelp!”
Shellington looks at the map on the Gup-A Shellington: “And it’s all coming from the kelp forest! Something’s not right…”
Captain Barnacles: “We’d better take a look!”
They arrive at the kelp forest and all get out of their Gups to investigate.
Shellington is looking at a kelp root through a magnifying glass Shellington: “Kelp strands are connected to the seafloor by these special roots; if these roots come loose, the kelp will float away! If too much kelp floats away, there’ll be no more kelp forest…”
They all look at their surroundings; there’s an abundance of sea life everywhere you look.
Peso: “And all these creatures will have nowhere to live…”
Tweak: “But, what’s causing all the kelp to come loose in the first place?”
Kwazii: “Avast! Look mateys!”
There’s a Red Urchin on one of the kelp roots. Shellington swims over with his magnifying glass Shellington: “I was afraid of this… Red Urchins! Red Urchins destroy kelp roots! They can wipe out an ENTIRE kelp forest!”
A female Sea Otter than bears resemblance to Shellington appears out of the kelp forest.
Pearl: “Unless~, there are Sea Otters-” She swims over and eats an Urchin. “-around to eat them!”
Shellington: “Pearl!” He swims over and hugs her excitedly, smiling.
Pearl: She chuckles fondly, hugging him back. “Hello, Shellington!”
Shellington turns back to the group. Shellington: “Everybody: this is my sister, Pearl the Sea Otter!”
Pearl: “Oh, hiya!”
Captain Barnacles: “Hello.”
Kwazii: “Ahoy, matey!”
Shellington: “Pearl is a scientist, just like me! She knows practically everything about kelp forests and kelp plants!”
Pearl: “Actually, kelp isn’t a plant at all - it’s a type of algae!”
Shellington: “See?”
Captain Barnacles: “So this is who you wanted us to meet!”
Shellington: “Uh-heh, not exactly! But, I’m sure Pearl can tell us exactly what’s wrong with the kelp forest!”
Pearl: “Ah… Yes… I’m afraid I’ve fallen a bit behind on my Urchin duties…”
Kwazii: “Urchin duties?”
Shellington: “Yes! We Sea Otters are what’s known as a keystone species!”
Pearl: “The whole kelp forest depends on us to eat the Red Urchins so they don’t destroy it! It’s our duty as Sea Otters.”
Peso looks at Shellington Peso: “But I’ve never seen you eat an Urchin…”
Shellington: “Ah… Well actually as it turns out… I’m allergic to Urchins…” He seems a bit ashamed that he can’t fulfill his purpose as a Sea Otter
Noticing her brother’s face, Pearl adds on to Shellington’s explanation. Pearl: “Shellington helps the kelp forest in a different way! As an Octonaut!”
That seems to cheer Shellington up a bit.