Charlie Codfish And The Runaway Seal

Have you ever wondered what it would be like if the sea was upside down? Where the coldest, darkest waters are at the surface, while at the most extreme depths sea creatures languish in warm, almost tropical lagoons. Well, part of the North Sea is like that. Yes, really, it is - upside down! On the surface the sea is stormy and dangerous where wild gales whistle and blow, creating waves taller than a house. The water is almost as cold as ice, even in the hottest of summers. But you would be very surprised to find that at the very bottom of the deepest, unexplored depths of the North Sea where you would expect it to be at its coldest and darkest, it is blue and warm and a place of wonder. A magical paradise that was unknown until very recently. It is called Askja. Askja is midway between the coast of Yorkshire and Norway where, from the bottom of a deep and wide valley, gushes an enormous spring of volcanic water that is as warm as a tropical sea. This life-giving water makes things grow, and in Askja, oh, how things grow! The giant kelp seaweed is as high as a great redwood tree. It grows in a lush, dense seaweed forest that stretches beyond the undersea horizon. Askja is also home to a vast variety of strange and exotic sea creatures, many that you will find nowhere else in Earth's oceans. There are giant lobsters and gruesome hairy crabs. Oily black sea slugs and eight-pointed starfish, and many other wild and fantastic creatures. These all live happily in complete harmony with the sea creatures that we all know and would recognise.Among this incredible diversity, live the Askjan codfish family. And one of them is a young fish named Charlie. Charlie Codfish is a very exceptional fish, and if you read on, you will see why.