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Nanami Simpson

Voiced by Megumi Hayashibara; Chantal Strand in the English dub

Nanami is the main protagonist in the series. At 11-years old, she claims all creatures from the sea are her friends. She has been friends with Tico ever since she was a baby, and has a close relationship with her father Scott, and friendships with all of their crew members throughout the series.

Tico

A killer whale who is a life-long friend to Nanami. In the Japanese version, she dies freeing Al's submersible from an iceberg crevice, which mortally injures her, and her body sinks to the depths of the sea, while Nanami looks on helplessly. In the last episode, "The Shining Circle" her spirit reunites with Nanami and her son via the Luminous Whale. In the English dub, she is still injured, but survives and the crew is forced to leave her behind to let her recover. She returns a few episodes later, shortly after her son Junior leaves the crew to join a super-pod of killer whales. In the final episode, the spirit that Tico reunites with turns out to be her own long-lost mother.

Junior

Junior is Tico's calf. In the Japanese original series, he takes Tico's place as Nanami's companion, along with her name, after the former sacrifices herself to save Al. He meets his mother again the series finale, "The Shining Circle". In the English dub, his mother survives, and is left behind to recover, returning not long after he leaves to join a super-pod of killer whales.

Scott Simpson

Voiced by Shuuichi Ikeda; David Kaye in the English dub

Nanami's father, who is a marine biologist, and captain of the Peperoncino. He has been searching for the Luminous Whale for seven years. He is a dedicated father to his daughter and is often the level-headed one for his crew. Scott is also very protective of his research of the Luminous Whale, refusing to let it or the creature itself fall into the wrong hands.

Alfonso "Al" Andretti

A fat Italian man who works with Scott, and always on the lookout for treasure. He is the chef and engineer of Peperoncino and often comes up with get-rich quick schemes in order to make the crew money. He serves as something of an uncle and mentor to Nanami and later to Thomas as well. A scene where he punches Professor LeConte in the stomach is removed.

Cheryl Christina Melville

Voiced by Venus Terzo in the English dub.

An English-American woman who comes from a wealthy family and craves adventure. She initially has a frosty relationship with the crew, particularly Nanami and Al (due to her joining the crew on a whim, and her initial reluctance to do any actual work), but they all soon warm up to her, and she ends up becoming a valued member and even something of a big sister to Nanami and Thomas. Due to her wealth, she often serves as the source for emergency funds when the crew needs them. Initially, she relies on her butler James to do the crew work for her, but later starts contributing by herself following his brief departure from the crew in the seventh episode, and becomes more independent as a result.

James McIntyre

Voiced by David Kaye in the English dub

Cheryl's loyal butler. Born near the Cliffs of Dover, he has served the Melville family faithfully for many years, and is charged with looking after Cheryl while she attends college in New York. James joins the crew of the Peperoncino at the same time as Cheryl, but leaves in the seventh episode and joins the crew of the Gaiatron ship Scorpio, after switching places with Thomas LeConte. He returns to the Peperoncino ten episodes later, and remains with the crew up to the series finale.

Thomas LeConte

A boy the Peperoncino crew met in the Bahamas and the son of scientist Dr. Charles LeConte. Intelligent and computer-savvy, but also introverted, lonely, and somewhat cautious, he craves attention from his father, but is often pushed aside and neglected due to Dr. LeConte's research regarding the Luminous Whale. In his first appearance in the second episode, he cons Nanami and Al in helping him return to his ship in return for a treasure map that turns out to be fake. Several episodes later, the crew meets him again on his father's ship, and after being rescued after getting trapped underwater in the Peperoncino's mini-sub, he decides to join their crew to go out into the world and become more extroverted, becoming Al's unofficial apprentice and Nanami's closest human friend. By the end of the series, he manages to patch things up with his father.

Other characters

Nagisa Suzuki

Nanami's aunt from her mother, Yuko's side of the family.

Gayle

A con-man with a heart of gold, and a crush on Cheryl. He also has a fear of fish.

Richard

A free-lance photographer who informs the Peperoncino crew about Metal Claw's activities.

Lolo

Richard's pet parrot.

Metal Claw

Voiced by Daisuke Gouri; Scott McNeil in the English dub

A villain from the earlier part in the series, he is a man who has a metal hand in place of his right hand. Captain of the Mentil.

Professor Charles LeConte

A scientist who is an old acquaintance of Scott Simpson, and Thomas's father. Obsessed with the Luminous Whale, LeConte's determination to find it causes him to ally himself with the corrupt Gaiatron Corporation, and neglect his son. By the end of the series, however, he learns the error of his ways and reconciles with Thomas. A scene where he slaps his son is edited out in the English Dub.

Stephen

A member of the crew on the Scorpio.

Topia

Voiced by Akiko Yajima

Enrico Andretti

Voiced by Bin Shimada

A cousin of Al's, who lives with their grandmother.

Don Gould (Mr. Krang in the English dub)

Head of the Rio Connection.

Rozalint Andretti

Voiced by Hisako Kyōda; Kathleen Barr in the English dub

Al's 94-year-old grandmother who lives in Italy.

Adrienne Benex

Voiced by Chiyoko Kawashima

The main villain of the series. Professor LeConte's superior, she owns the Gaiatron Corporation. She wants the luminous whale due to an element it is said to have, called trontium. In the Japanese series, she is killed when seagulls attack and incapacitate the pilots of her escape helicopter, causing it to crash into her Antarctic Base, The Iron City, with her in it. The seagulls were summoned, along with other animals, by the luminous whale to attack the base. This is edited out in the English dub.

Gaulois

Voiced by Keisuke Yamashita

Benex's underling.

Terry Taft

Voiced by Yumi Tōma

A boy Nanami meets who uses a wheelchair. He lost the use of his legs at the same time he lost his sister, Maggie.

Opiac

A young girl of the north Arctic whose grandfather is a descendant of one of has seen the luminous whale.

Luminous whale

A whale whose body glows yellow. It is semi-supernatural, as it summoned animals to attack the iron city base, showed Nanami her future, and brought the Ghost of Tico for a final Goodbye to her friend and Son. It can still die though, as evidence by its fossils being found by Scott Simpson, and it almost drying up when hoisted out of the Ocean by Adrienne Bennex's men.

English dub

• Voices: Lisa Ann Beley, Don Brown, Michael Dobson, Paul Dobson, Andrew Francis, David Kaye, Scott McNeil, John Payne, Chantal Strand, Venus Terzo, Richard Newman