Hazardous Expeditions

Blue water surrounded the ocean rocks as it splashed against them, the sun beating down on it. The water was fairly warm today and it was a good day to go for a swim at least for Merlot, a male suchomimus , his brown feathers becoming damp as he made his way into the deep blue water. As Merlot dove into the underwater world of the island bright coral littered the ocean floor covering the sand making it flourish with colors, fish swam around the bottom in schools moving with the current. Merlot visited the coral reefs often to hunt or just to swim and explore what the reefs had to offer for the water dwelling dinosaur. His feathers pressed up against his narrow body as he dove deeper getting closer to the ocean floor grasping onto the coral blowing bubbles through his snout. Various tropical fish swam by the carnivore as he moved through the water , Merlot looked around snatching a couple fish in his mouth as he swam through various coral reef areas.

Merlot held the various fish he had caught as he moved through the shallow coral reefs before resurfacing and taking a breath. Pulling himself up onto a rocky reefed area placing the various fish he had caught onto the gray slab as he shook his body to rid of the water that dampened him, before turning to his fresh meal. Merlot visited the reefs often to hunt the various wildlife that used it as their home. It provided a lot for the dinosaurs as a food source on the islands and today was a good day to do a hunting trip. Merlot sat down taking the fish within his claws tearing at the scales ripping it open to enjoy the tender flesh inside it. The sun beat down on Merlot, the waves splashing against the rocky reef he found himself resting on. His ice blue eyes scanned the water watching the movement of the waves as the fish navigated the current, the coral below booming with color. A low growl left his jaws as he stood to enter the water and continue his exploring taking the plunge back in.

As he re-entered the reef's water he stopped using his large tail to move him around the rocky reefs getting slightly deeper but not enough where he couldn’t see. Tropical fish passed by the large dinosaur and did not seem to be bothered by his presence, the fish patterns seem to have been off as they moved away from the reefs out into the deep drop off from the reef’s. Merlot narrowed his eyes looking off the drop off but turned back into the reef swimming down to the bottom, setting himself in the sand as he examined the shells and rocks that littered it. Merlot picked the ones he liked up in his claws as he kept moving his large feet pushing him off the sandy ground to keep his movement going. The fish seemed to have cleared out from the reef and that was not normal this place provided them a large home and lots of hiding places, Merlot felt off noticing this as he continued on soon seeing a green tinge coloration to the water. Where it had been a nice blue it now seemed to look almost dirty and it felt as if his snout was clogged now. The large sucho soon resurfaced taking a large breath shaking the water from his face as he looked at the surface of the water seeing more green tinged water floating around him now, he looked trying to spot the area it was coming from but he couldn’t make out where but it was somewhere from the reef itself.

“Green water? Where did this come from..” he thought to himself before moving towards the reef as the color got darker. He stopped as he swam by a more rocky part of the reef seeing the rocks coated in a slime spotting dead fish floating and caught on the sides, Merlot sniffed the fish before heading towards the slimed covered rocks. As he approached it grasping onto the rock so he wouldn’t float away “ what is this stuff?” he spoke to himself, reaching out to touch it with his claws. The slime was thick to the touch as it was mixed with the sea water , it also coated the dead fish that were floating at the top of the reefs that seemed to have the green tinge to it, something was off with the reef, the one that once bloomed life was now spotting death and unhealthiness. Merlot looked puzzled before stepping up onto the rocky area, his feathers now coated in the slime , he looked back and growled disgusted trying to shake it off only making it worse as they began to become ruffled and messy. Merlot sighed before taking a large breath in before trying to spot where the main source of the slime was coming from as more dead sea life seemed to litter the surface of the water further back in the reef. A shine caught his eye as a yellow barrel lay floating in the water as it seemed to be stuck on the reef rocks, it also was broken open as a large hole was in its side.

Merlot noticed this strange object and made his way across the rocks getting closer as he reached out pulling the yellow object closer to him with his claws. As he rolled it around in the water the large hole in the side of it poured out the last of the slime substance, splashing into the water. Something seemed to have caused it to break open and spill whatever it contained inside. Merlot pulled it up on the rocks as it made a loud clang, he had never seen something like it and it looked very odd. It was a bright yellow with a black symbol on its side along with large letters. The sucho was curious but couldn’t make out what it read “What is this thing?” He said studying it pacing around the barrel, the hole seemed to be where the slime had come from causing it to seep into the water.

Merlot looked back at the water then at the barrel , maybe this is what was causing the change in color of the water. It seemed to also be affecting the sea life that came in contact with it as more dead fish seemed to be larger in numbers around it. Sitting down Merlot pondered thoughts about the unknown object moving his claws around its paint chipping off. It seemed ultimately toxic and dangerous for the environment but to him it was a trinket that nobody else had, or maybe others could figure out what it was. He sat back up clamping onto the top of it as it scraped against the rock Merlot wanted to take the barrel with him. He plunged back into the water, the barrel following making a large splash as it hit the surface of the water. It floated well which surprised the sucho as it was somewhat heavy for him, he began to swim towards land the barrel in his large jaws. He wanted to find out where this came from as it seemed to affect the environment around it but little did Merlot know that by carrying the barrel to land may cause more harm. As he got to shore looking back at the reef's waters , the green tinge still overtaking the once blue waves, something was going on with the island and it was not normal. Maybe this barrel really had something to do with it, as Merlot dragged it up the sand more yellow paint seemed to have flaked off from the swim. “ I should show this to the others, maybe they have seen something similar?” he questioned himself as he sat in the sand toying with the object. With a final look Merlot stood up and picked the yellow barrel up in his claws, his tail swaying behind him as he began to leave the reefs shore. The thought still tingling in the back of his mind should he keep this as a trinket without knowing the dangers it held, the fear of the unknown clawing at his instincts or should he leave it where he found it imghost the reefs waves.

As Merlot walked up the sandy path behind him the reefs lay silent as more fish slowly rose to the surface once alive but now plagued with pestilence. The once bright reefs of the island now screamed with sickness and death, the green tinged water now ever growing within the reef. The further Merlot got away with the barrel a trail of green slime spilled out the side of the hole hitting the ground with each step, plant life that was hit by the unknown slime soon wilted and became dry. This was a danger that nobody was prepared for.