Flesh-Eater

Flesh-Eater is the main antagonist of EcoQuest: The Search for Cetus.

Background
This giant, mutant manta ray quickly became known as a terror of the seas whose only concern was to feed his own voracious appetite at any cost. According to Delphineus, Flesh-Eater began to appear just before King Cetus' disappearance.

Formerly known as Icarus, the manta ray who would become Flesh-Eater was once a strict vegetarian and a peaceful, gentle creature. One day, he swam into a cavern filled with illegally dumped toxic waste. The pollution twisted him in both body and mind, transforming him into a ruthless, ravenous carnivore. Flesh-Eater then made his home in a cavern close to the dump site where he could continue to feed on the pollutants.

Quickly realizing that the whale Cetus would be a threat to his hunts, Flesh-Eater devised a cunning plan to rid himself of Cetus as an obstacle. Positioning himself just under a whaling ship, Flesh-Eater gave a cry for help. When Cetus arrived, the whale catchers spotted the whale under the water and shot a harpoon at him with the intention of capturing him. Cetus struggled mightily and managed to sink the whaling ship, but he was still held fast by the harpoon. Unable to escape, Cetus could only barely reach the top of the ocean in order to breathe. Satisfied that Cetus would no longer be able to stop him, Flesh-Eater began hunting the citizens of Eluria in earnest.

Sometime later, the dolphin Delphineus was given the task to find anyone who could help Eluria. He would return days later with Adam Greene, who eventually found and released Cetus. Once Fleah-Eater learned that the whale was free once more, the mutant manta did battle with Cetus in one last attempt to finish him off. With Adam's aid, Cetus was able defeat Flesh-Eater and knock him unconscious. Since Adam had the toxic waste from the illegal dump site removed earlier, it was assumed that Flesh-Eater's mutation would gradually wear off without the constant pollutants needed to feed it.

Cunning, ruthless and ravenous, Flesh-Eater was the result of excessive and harmful pollution of the sea. Although his only real goal was to satisfy his own voracious appetite, Flesh-Eater also seemed to enjoy terrorizing his prey, particularly if they were helpless.