The Little Mermaid II: Return to the Sea is a 2000 animated direct-to-video musical fantasy film produced by Walt Disney Television Animation, and the second installment in The Little Mermaid trilogy. Directed by Jim Kammerud and Brian Smith, the plot of the film takes place 12 years after the original film, and focuses on Ariel and Eric's daughter Melody, a human princess who longs to swim in the ocean, despite her parents' law that the sea is forbidden to her, due to Ursula's evil sister, Morgana, plotting to finish the acts of what Ursula started.

Plot

Ariel and Eric celebrate the birth of their daughter, Melody, on a ship at sea, along with all the sea creatures and the ship members. Ariel's father, King Triton arrives to present Melody with a magic locket that bears her name as a gift. The party is interrupted by Ursula's sister Morgana, who threatens to have Melody fed to her tiger shark sidekick, Undertow, unless Triton surrenders his trident to her as part of her plan to avenge Ursula and take over the ocean. Ariel and Eric work together to foil Morgana's plan, and Triton shrinks Undertow to the size of a piranha. Morgana escapes, eluding the attempts of King Triton's forces to capture her and declaring that she will someday exact her revenge on both Ariel and Triton and avenge Ursula's death. Fearing Morgana and remembering Ursula, Ariel decides that, until Morgana is captured, they will have to withhold all knowledge of the sea world and her heritage from Melody to protect her. Triton tosses the locket into the ocean, and a massive wall is built to separate the royal castle from the sea. Triton assigns Sebastian to watch over Melody.