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Eddie Van Haddock & The Rockfish: In a little town by the sea, where the stories never end, lived Captain Dave and his crew, every child’s favourite friend. With a smile as wide as the ocean and a heart that’s full of dreams, he sails a Mellow Submarine where magic gleams and beams. Every morning at sunrise, when the world awakes anew, Captain Dave and his crew set sail in waters deep and blue. Through the ticking clock of time, where adventures come alive, they laugh and learn and play each day in their underwater dive. Captain Dave and the Mellow Submarine.
Dave Graham: Captain Dave stood on the deck of the Mellow Submarine, watching the early morning fog lift off the water near French Creek Harbour. The sea was calm and grey-blue, and gulls wheeled overhead, calling to one another as the sun tried to peek through the clouds.
“Morning, Larry,” called Captain Dave as Larry the Lobster scuttled up from below deck, carrying two steaming mugs of seaweed tea in his claws.
“Morning, Captain,” said Larry, setting the mugs down carefully on the railing. “It’s a beautiful day for an adventure, don’t you think?”
“I certainly do,” said Captain Dave, taking a sip of his tea and looking out at the calm water stretching toward Vancouver Island’s misty shoreline. “Quiet mornings like this are my favourite. You never know what the sea might bring.”
“Maybe today will be a lazy day,” said Larry, stretching his claws over his head. “A little exploring, a little napping in the sunshine on the deck.”
Just then, the radio on the control panel crackled to life. “Mellow Submarine, Mellow Submarine, this is Dr. Sarah calling from the Ocean Research Station. Do you copy?”
Captain Dave hurried to the radio and picked it up. “This is Captain Dave. Go ahead, Dr. Sarah.”
“Captain Dave, I’m so glad I caught you,” said Dr. Sarah, her voice warm but a little worried. “We have a problem out here in the Salish Sea, and I was hoping you and Larry might be able to help.”
“Of course. What’s going on?”
“We have an underwater weather station anchored not far from Nanoose Bay. It’s a special instrument that helps scientists like me study the ocean. But early this morning, one of our other boats noticed that it stopped sending us information. We think it might have gotten tangled in a kelp forest during last night’s storm.”
Larry’s eyes went wide with curiosity. “An underwater weather station? I didn’t know the ocean had weather.”
Dr. Sarah laughed gently through the radio. “It’s a little different from weather up on land, Larry. But you’re right to wonder about it. Come on out, and I’ll explain everything. The station is about two kilometres offshore, near the edge of a big kelp bed.”
“We’re on our way. Mellow Submarine out.”
Captain Dave moved to the control panel and pressed the button to begin their dive. The submarine’s engines hummed to life, and slowly, gently, the Mellow Submarine sank beneath the waves of the Strait of Georgia.
“Ballast tanks filling,” said Captain Dave, watching the dials. “Depth 20 feet, 40 feet. There we go. Levelling off.”
Larry pressed his face against the porthole, watching shafts of sunlight dance through the green water. “Captain, look! I can already see the kelp forest ahead.”
Sure enough, tall ribbons of golden-brown kelp swayed in the current like an underwater forest, their long stalks reaching all the way up toward the sunlit surface. Little round bulbs floated at the top of each kelp stalk, keeping the leaves lifted toward the light.
“Bull kelp,” said Captain Dave, steering carefully around the edge of the forest. “It can grow more than 10 metres in a single season, right from the sea floor all the way up to the surface. It’s one of the fastest-growing plants in the whole world.”
“Ten metres?” said Larry. “That’s taller than our submarine is long!”
As they glided closer, they spotted a small motorboat bobbing on the surface above, and right next to it, a swimmer in full diving gear and a bright yellow wetsuit. Captain Dave took the submarine back up to the surface and opened the top hatch just as Dr. Sarah pulled off her mask.
“Thanks for coming, you two. Follow me. The station is just through here.”
And then down they went, Dr. Sarah in the lead. The submarine followed her deeper into the swaying kelp, moving slowly and carefully so as not to disturb the plants or the creatures who called the forest home. A curious harbour seal darted past.
“There it is,” said Dr. Sarah, pointing.
Tangled in a thick clump of kelp fronds was a bright orange instrument, shaped a bit like a barrel, with wires and sensors sticking out in every direction. Long ribbons of kelp had wrapped around it during the storm, pulling it sideways and covering its sensors completely.
“That’s the weather station?” asked Larry. “It doesn’t look much like the weather station we have on the sub.”
“That’s because it’s not measuring wind and rain like most weather stations,” said Dr. Sarah. “This one measures ocean weather. It tells us the temperature of the water at different depths, how fast and which direction the currents are flowing, and even how salty the water is.”
“Why does that matter?” asked Larry, tilting his head.
“Great question. The Salish Sea is home to salmon, orcas, seals, and thousands of other creatures, and they all depend on the water being just right. If the water gets too warm, it can hurt the salmon eggs. Scientists like me use stations like this to understand what’s happening so we can help protect the whole ecosystem.”
“So this little barrel is like a doctor checking the ocean’s temperature,” said Larry.
“Exactly like that. And right now, our patient can’t tell us how it’s feeling because the kelp has covered up its sensors.”
Captain Dave studied the tangled instrument carefully through the submarine’s window. “We’ll need to be very gentle. Kelp forests are important habitats too, home to sea otters, rockfish, and all sorts of small creatures. We don’t want to hurt the kelp while we’re freeing the station.”
“Right you are, Captain. That’s exactly why I called you instead of just cutting it loose with a knife. I know how much you care about doing this the right way.”
Captain Dave guided the Mellow Submarine’s small robotic arm out from the side of the hull. Larry kept watch on the controls over Captain Dave’s shoulder. “Can I help steer it, Captain?”
“Absolutely,” said Captain Dave. “You’ve got a good claw for delicate work, Larry. Just move it slowly.”
Larry took hold of the control lever and carefully guided the robotic claw toward the tangled kelp fronds. One by one, he gently unwound the long ribbons, easing them loose without tearing a single leaf.
“You’re a natural,” said Dr. Sarah, swimming nearby to help from outside, carefully untangling the trickier knots by hand.
“It’s like untying a very long, very slippery shoelace,” said Larry, concentrating hard, his claw moving with surprising gentleness.
Slowly, the kelp began to loosen. First one long frond floated free, drifting gracefully back into the current, and then another, and another. Bit by bit, the bright orange instrument began to reappear, and soon its round sensor dome was clear of kelp entirely.
“There,” said Larry proudly as the last ribbon slipped away. “All clear, Captain.”
Dr. Sarah swam up close to inspect the station, checking each of its small sensors. “The temperature sensor looks fine. The current meter is fine too. Let’s just check the anchor line.”
Captain Dave used the robotic arm to gently steady the station while Dr. Sarah checked the cable connecting it to its anchor on the sea floor. “The line’s still strong. It just needs to be untangled and repositioned so it’s floating upright again.”
Together, Larry and Dr. Sarah carefully guided the weather station back into its proper position, floating just above the kelp bed where its sensors could measure the passing current freely.
“Now it can breathe,” said Larry.
Dr. Sarah laughed. “In a way, yes. Now it can do its job again.” She pulled a small handheld device from a pouch on her wetsuit and pressed a few buttons. A soft beep sounded, and a tiny green light blinked on at the top of the station. “There we go. It’s back online and sending data again.”
“What kind of information does it send?” asked Larry.
“Right now, it’s telling us the water here is about 11 degrees Celsius. It’s also measuring how fast the current is moving past us, which helps us understand how nutrients and tiny plankton move through the Salish Sea. Plankton might be small, but they’re food for fish, which are food for seals, which are food for orcas. Everything is connected.”
“Like a big underwater family,” said Larry thoughtfully.
“That’s a lovely way to put it,” said Dr. Sarah. She reached into her pouch again and pulled out a small mesh bag with a bright pink ribbon tied to it. “Here, want to see how a current works? Watch this.”
She let the little bag drift gently from her hand. For a moment, it hung still in the water, and then, slowly, it began to glide sideways, carried along by a current none of them could see.
“Look at that,” said Larry, watching the ribbon float away and curve gently around the kelp stalks. “It’s like the water has its own invisible river flowing right through the ocean.”
“That’s a wonderful way to describe it,” said Dr. Sarah, catching the bag again before it drifted too far. “Currents like this one carry warm water and cold water between different parts of the Salish Sea. Some come from rivers flowing in from the mountains, and some come from the tides pulling water in and out twice a day. Our weather station measures how fast that invisible river is moving and which way it’s headed.”
“So the fish and the plankton just go wherever the current takes them?” asked Larry.
“Some of them do. Others swim against it on purpose to reach the places where they lay their eggs. That’s part of why currents matter so much to scientists like me, and stations like this one help us notice if something changes. If the water starts getting warmer over time or the currents start behaving differently, we can study why and figure out how to help the animals that live here.”
Captain Dave nodded through the window. “It’s a bit like keeping a diary of the ocean’s health.”
“Exactly,” said Dr. Sarah. “And today, thanks to you two, that diary can keep being written.”
As they prepared to leave the kelp forest behind, Larry noticed a small sea otter floating nearby, wrapped in a strand of kelp to keep from drifting away while it napped. “Look, Captain! It’s using the kelp like a blanket.”
“Sea otters do that,” said Dr. Sarah. “They wrap themselves in kelp fronds so the current doesn’t carry them away while they sleep. That’s another reason it’s so important to take care of forests like this one.”
“I never knew a kelp forest could do so much,” said Larry. “It feeds the fish, it shelters the otters, it grows taller than our submarine, and now it even watches over the weather station.”
“The ocean is full of surprises,” said Captain Dave, smiling proudly at his first mate. “That’s why we never stop learning, Larry.”
Dr. Sarah gave a final wave as she swam back up toward her boat. “I’ll let you know what the data tells us. Maybe next time you visit, I’ll show you how we track the currents all the way from here out toward the open strait.”
“We’d love that,” said Captain Dave. “Any time you need the Mellow Submarine, just give us a call.”
“Bye, Dr. Sarah!” called Larry, waving his claw through the porthole as the diver disappeared toward the surface.
Captain Dave guided the Mellow Submarine gently away from the kelp forest, careful not to disturb the swaying fronds one last time. Sunlight streamed down in golden shafts through the clear green water, and small silver fish darted between the kelp stalks like tiny sparks.
“You did excellent work today, Larry,” said Captain Dave. “That was careful, patient, gentle work, and it made a real difference.”
Larry beamed, his claws clicking together happily. “I liked helping Dr. Sarah. It felt good knowing we were helping take care of all the animals who live out here, even ones we couldn’t see.”
“That’s the best part of exploring the Salish Sea,” said Captain Dave. “There’s always something new to learn, and always some way we can help.”
As the Mellow Submarine turned back toward French Creek Harbour, the afternoon sun sparkled on the surface far above them. Larry settled into his favourite spot by the porthole, watching the kelp forest shrink into the distance behind them.
“Captain,” said Larry, “do you think the weather station will stay untangled now?”
“Well, I hope so,” said Captain Dave. “But if it ever gets tangled again, or if Dr. Sarah needs our help with anything else out here, you know we’ll be ready.”
“Always ready,” agreed Larry proudly.
Together, they cruised home through the cool blue water of the Salish Sea, past schools of fish and curious harbour seals, with the whole ocean quietly humming its endless invisible currents all around them. Currents that Captain Dave, Larry, and their friend Dr. Sarah would keep watching over, one gentle adventure at a time.
Eddie Van Haddock & The Rockfish: When the night falls softly, and stars light up the sky, Captain Dave tucks his crew in with a gentle lullaby. Dreams of whales and mermaids, of treasures lush and green, await each little sailor aboard the Mellow Submarine.
The PULSE Community: Sign up for The PULSE Community Newsletter and get new podcast episodes and contest giveaways delivered straight to your inbox. From concert tickets to the stories behind your neighbours, it’s the easiest way to stay connected to the island. Join at thepulsecommunity.ca.
