Eco Kids Planet - Extreme Ocean

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Over to You Competition winners

Monthly Competition Whale greetings card

Glub! Hello Eco Kids, and welcome to your

Extreme Ocean’ issue!

Who better to present it than an extreme fella like me – the crocodile icefish himself?

Why, you don’t think I look like an Antarctic superstar? Don’t mind my grumpy stare; I’ve got lots of superpower tricks and tales under my scales!

Actually, about those… I adapted to live without scales. Sure, scales provide protection, but they also create drag in the water. Having smooth skin helps me move swiftly and nimbly in icy waters. Ice could also form between the scales and cause damage. So I’m better off without them! Clever, eh? But that’s just the tip of the iceberg…

One of my other remarkable features is my blood. Unlike other fish (or you), my blood has no red cells that carry oxygen. Instead, I can absorb it right through my scale-less skin.

And unlike you, I don’t wear a coat to keep me warm when it’s freezing outside. But I do have something unique in my blood. When water gets totally freezing, special antifreeze proteins in my blood prevent it from turning into ice. I told you – I’ve got some superhero skills! They help me stay comfy and chilled out even in the freezing waters.

Glub, glub, it’s the 110th issue of Eco Kids Planet, and – finally – I got a mention. You might have never heard of me before, but you surely will remember me now, won’t you?

Keep warm, Amatus,

The crocodile icefish

P.S. With this long, slender body and large snout, I do look a bit like a crocodile, don’t I?

Let’s explore an ocean like no other – and those…

SOUTHERN OCEAN ANIMALS!

By JD Savage

What’s that? The world had a new ocean in 2000 – covering 21,960,000 square kilometres? Where did all that water suddenly come from?

In truth, the Southern Ocean was just a new name for the body of water surrounding Antarctica. There was a time

it wasn’t there – but you’d have to go back over 34 million years. Funnily enough, that still makes it the world’s youngest ocean!

Ocean or oceans?

There’s really only one world ocean, covering almost three quarters of our planet. (Seas are much smaller.) It’s made of five major ocean basins – think of them as giant bowls holding ocean water. The Southern Ocean blends into the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific – every ocean basin except the Arctic. It’s like a mixing zone for them all!

It surrounds Antarctica like a castle’s moat and is the only ocean surrounding a continent. But wait – Antarctica? That freezing place with oodles of ice and snow?

Exactly! So, some Southern Ocean water has sub-zero temperatures and icy surfaces. In a word: brrr! It’s also a place where mighty winds blow almost interrupted. That creates mega waves, with some towering over 20 metres high. Huge icebergs, carried by its strong currents, also blow across its surface.

So, is the Southern Ocean unfriendly to animals? Will this month’s issue be filled with blank pages? No, it’s rich in wildlife – hooray!

Fun Fact

The Southern Ocean is home to over 9,000 marine species!

It’s one of the best places for finding whales – including some mysterious ones. That’s just one of the reasons we must protect it.

But why do so many gentle giants, from fast-moving blue whales to moaning humpbacks, migrate to these cold, heaving waters?

It’s to feed on Antarctic krill – the small, shrimplike crustaceans living there.

I hate whales!

Fun Fact

Penguins love to eat krill, too – which turns their poo pink. When it builds up, it can be seen from space!

In for the Krill

Crabeater seals love krill, too – but don’t eat crabs! Their name isn’t to fool the krill. Some think it’s from a German word: Krebstiere, meaning crustaceans. Others say it was just a mistake that sailors made. No, they eat krill – up to 11,000 per day! They take a mouthful of krill-filled seawater, then strain the water out through their overlapping teeth.

We thrill to krill!

known as Type D orcas. Photos had been taken of beached ones in New Zealand and of one swimming in the southern Indian Ocean. Scientists searched for years to find some of these odd orcas to study. Finally, some swam up to a team in the Southern Ocean!

QUICK QUIZ

All dolphins are whales – and killer whales are big dolphins. Yet not all whales are dolphins. Hmm, so are pilot whales dolphins? Find out below!

Can you guess?

You’ll find many killer whales – also known as orcas. That includes a rarely seen, smaller group of odd orcas with rounded heads and pointier fins, now

Several dolphin species have adapted well to the ocean. Join Amy on pages 22-25 on her quest to find the wonderful whales and dolphins of the Southern Ocean.

Vocabulary

Crustaceans (say “crust-ay-she-ens”): Animals that usually have a hard covering and two pairs of feelers.

QUICK QUIZ

It’s the largest member of the dolphin family!

It’s one long penguin party at the Southern Ocean. You may see emperor penguins diving off ice shelves into the cold waters there. They’re the largest penguins and deepest-diving birds. They build their colonies on that sea ice. It’s where they breed, and raise their chicks. But how can eggs keep warm during the brutal Antarctic winter? After the female lays a single one, she carefully moves it to the male’s feet. He balances it there and covers it with a warm flap of skin. Cosy!

Three new species of penguin were recently discovered there. Gentoo penguins are the world’s fastest swimming birds. We used to think they were just one species – but they seem to be four.

Those unfriendly waters are a real challenge to study, so there are still plenty of new things to discover.

Fun Fact Gentoo penguins build their nests with stones!

Now see if you can guess how the chinstrap penguin got its name!

We’re the most aggressive penguins – so watch out!

EARTH’S LARGEST HEAT AND CARBON SINK

The Southern Ocean is vital to our planet’s health. It helps to control the climate by moving water, heat and carbon between the ocean basins.

Do you know how hard oceans work to slow global warming? Well, the Southern Ocean works hardest of all!

It absorbs almost three quarters of human-created heat trapped in the atmosphere. That’s more than any other ocean. It has also swallowed up one fifth of human-made carbon dioxide gas.

This slows down climate change – but at a cost. All that heat makes the ice melt, raising sea levels and destroying the ice shelves some animals need. Its marine ecosystems can also suffer extreme heat stress.

Did somebody steal our ice?

Now it’s time for Rhona and Rusty to use their shrinking superpower for…

A SHRINKING SIBLINGS MICRO-MISSION

Rusty: Hi, Rusty fans! I bet you think we’re in the sea.

Rhona: But we’re not. We’re in the top layer of Antarctic ice, shrunk to a teeny size.

Rusty: I didn’t think we’d find any life in a chunk of ice.

Rhona: Yet there’s a rich community of incredibly tiny creatures – microbes! Look at them swimming around.

Rusty: But where did all this water come from?

Rhona: It’s melted ice, of course. A tiny lifeform called cyanobacteria caused it. It sat on the ice collecting dust particles–

Rusty: Hey, we have something in common. I collect dust, too, in my bedroom!

Rhona: Shush, Rusty – dust particles and mineral fragments. It bundles them up,

which darkens the ice. That changes how the ice absorbs the sun’s rays, and it starts melting, making a hole like this.

Rusty: So, thanks to that crayon-obutteria, there’s enough water in this ice hole to support all these microbes.

Rhona: Cyanobacteria, Rusty. Sy-an-obac-teer-i-a! Yes, there may be a hundred million billion trillion microbes here.

Rusty: We don’t have to greet each one, do we?

Rhona: No, but I do want to tell the cyanobacteria off. By making the snow and ice darker, they’re another thing making the ice melt here.

Rusty: Speaking of ice, our submarine is heated, but I’m starting to feel cold.

Rhona: Me, too. We’d better get out of here!

by

Illustration

Leah Ingledew

Charlie Meets…

By JD Savage

A Albatross!Wandering

It’s me, Charlie, the Eco Kid who can chat with animals. This time, I’m meeting one of our largest – and most amazing – birds!

Charlie: The bird I’m hoping to meet is a wandering albatross. That’s not just what it’ll be doing – it’s the proper name for this type of albatross.

They fly around the Southern Ocean, sometimes landing on its remote islands – but those places are way too cold for me! Instead, I’m on one of the South Atlantic islands they sometimes visit, too. I’ve put the word out among seabirds that I’d love to meet with one here.

Ah, I can see one flying in. Wow, his wings are fully stretched. I bet that’s a threeand-a-half-metre wingspan! He’s coming in to land.

Albatross: Are you the boy who wants to meet one of us?

Charlie: Yes, sorry to draw you away from the Southern Ocean.

Albatross: Don’t be! I’ve just spent 46 days circling the entire thing. I’m glad of the change.

Charlie: You really get about!

Albatross: I bet we’re easily the widestranging of any seabird. Maybe of any animal on Earth – and I see quite a few from up there.

Charlie: Mostly marine ones, I bet.

Albatross: Yes, and I often sniff ’em before I see ’em. I can smell a squid downwind –and my nostrils pick up fishy pongs, too. Then I swoop down and gobble them up!

Charlie: So, that’s the sort of thing you eat?

Albatross: Oh yes, small fish, jellyfish, squid, octopuses, penguins, seals…

Illustration

Charlie: Wait, you can kill penguins and seals?

Albatross: No, I just feed on them when I find them already dead.

Charlie: Ah, carrion.

Albatross: I will carry on. They’re very tasty.

Charlie: No, I said carrion. That’s what we call the remains of a dead animal. How often did you have to land during your 46 days over the Southern Ocean?

Albatross: Not once. I spend most of my life in the air.

Charlie: But I bet that’s one of the windiest oceans.

Albatross: Harsh weather doesn’t bother us – and I love the wind. Have you seen how wide my wingspan is?

Charlie: Yes, it’s much longer than me!

Albatross: Exactly – ideal for riding ocean winds. I can fly for hours without needing a single flap.

Charlie: That long?

Albatross: So many silly little birds out there need to keep flapping. Not us! I bet I use up more energy sitting in my nest than I do when I’m out flying.

Like many albatrosses, these incredible birds are classed as vulnerable. Longline fishing gear trailing behind boats is one of their biggest threats. The birds accidentally get caught up in it. Plastic pollution in the water endangers them, too.

Charlie: Do you fly in a straight line?

Albatross: I often zigzag across the angle of the wind. But sometimes I power into a flat glide with the wind screaming at my tail. VROOOOOM! It’s amazing. Maybe you’ll fit on my back, and I can show you.

Charlie: Er, I don’t think so, thanks. Why do you come to remote islands, then?

Albatross: Mostly to breed – and then to help raise a single chick.

Charlie: And how do your chicks get used to flying over the vast ocean?

Albatross: With a lot of practice, that’s how! I certainly remember during my early years, I’d leave the colony to soar over the Southern Ocean solo. It was a great way to get my wings ready for the long haul. Happy days! Anyway, must fly –I have squid to sniff out.

Imagine flying for weeks over deep ocean waters in harsh, freezing gales!

ENDANGERED CREATURE FEATURE

The Antarctic Blue Whale

Saving the biggest animal on Earth

The Antarctic blue whale is the largest creature to have lived on Earth – ever! It’s even bigger than any of the dinosaurs were. This massive marine mammal quietly cruises across the world’s oceans in search of food and to raise a family. It’s hard to believe that we very nearly lost this awesome animal altogether.

Super-sized

Everything about the blue whale is BIG!

• It measures up to 30 metres in length – longer than three buses!

• It can weigh over 180 tons – that’s as heavy as 40 elephants!

• A blue whale’s heart is the size of a small car!

• Its tongue is so big a whole football team could stand on it!

• Its calls are louder than a jet plane. They can be heard by other blue whales over 1,000km away!

• A blue whale lives for 80 to 90 years!

What colour is the blue whale?

They are a light blueish-grey with lighter grey speckles! Yet these big mammals look truly blue in Southern Ocean waters. It’s because the water absorbs the long colours (like red and yellow) but lets the shorter blue travel far. When it hits blue whales’ skin, some of it reflects back and makes them look blue to us.

Moving mountains

Blue whales migrate as the seasons change. Antarctic blue whales spend the summer at their favourite feeding grounds

around Antarctica, filling up on krill. Then they move to warmer, tropical waters for the winter, to breed and give birth. Travelling between the two areas could take a blue whale a few months, and it can cover thousands of kilometres on the way. That’s one amazing migration!

Almost extinct

An estimated 10,000 to 25,000 blue whales exist worldwide, and around 3,000 of these belong to the Antarctic population. This might sound like a lot, but just over 100 years ago, there would have been many, many more.

During the first part of the 20th century, blue whales were often hunted by people on whaling ships. Hundreds of thousands of them were caught and killed for their meat and oil. Because of this, the blue whale very nearly became extinct.

Hunting blue whales was eventually banned in 1966. Since then, the number of whales in our oceans has slowly increased. But the Antarctic blue whale is still classed as CRITICALLY ENDANGERED.

Protected but not safe

The blue whale isn’t hunted any more, but it is still threatened by several things:

1. Climate change could mean that our oceans get warmer. This might affect the availability of krill.

2. Noise from ships and drilling for oil and gas can confuse blue whales and make it harder for them to communicate with one another.

3. Ships can kill or injure whales if they hit them. Whale-watching boats can disturb their normal behaviour.

4. Fishing nets can trap and drown whales.

5. Ocean pollution can poison whales.

6. Whaling is banned at the moment, but if the number of blue whales keeps increasing, people might want to start hunting them again.

What would the world be like without the blue whale? If we want it to carry on cruising our seas for centuries to come, we need to learn from the past and look after this gentle giant of the ocean.

Eco Kids Unite!

We can all help blue whales – and other sea life – by reducing the amount of plastic that ends up in our oceans. Why not organise a beachcleaning party if you live near the sea or when you’re on holiday? (Ask an adult to help.)

Did You Know?

Scientists can work out the age of a blue whale by counting the layers of wax in its ears! The oldest whale ever found using this method was 110 years old!

RHONA RUSTY

CHARLIE AMY SIMON

OFF TO ANTARCTICA?

By JD Savage

Amy: This time, I want us to debate whether people should be allowed to visit Antarctica.

Simon: Do you mean holidaymakers?

Rhona: Or scientists who go there to study the continent and its wildlife?

Amy: Both – tourists and researchers.

Rhona: Well, Rusty and I have just been there on a micro-mission for this issue.

Charlie: I chatted with a Southern Ocean albatross for this issue but didn’t go to an Antarctic island. I reckoned it would be too cold.

Rhona: I find the cold refreshing. It makes me feel more alive!

Rusty: So why do you always moan about the draught when I leave your bedroom door open?

Rhona: Kindly shush, Rusty!

Amy: Huge numbers of tourists go on holiday there every year. I’m talking tens of thousands – and the numbers keep going up. Surely, they’ll disturb the wildlife.

Simon: I’ve read about this. Around a quarter of those people never even leave their ship.

Amy: It’s still a lot of people. We know it’s affecting and changing penguin behaviour.

Rhona: I’ve seen adverts for mountaineering and sea kayaking there lately – and for camping in the snow.

Amy: Well, all that must have an impact on wildlife.

Simon: But I bet it’s life-changing for the humans.

Charlie: Brr, Antarctica is so extreme! I bet it’s the coldest, windiest place on Earth. Isn’t it like a desert, except with ice instead of sand? Really still and silent?

Rhona: Well, it isn’t silent when the seabirds start screeching, or the seals start barking.

Rusty: Or when Rhona starts moaning.

Rhona: Rusty!

Rusty: Well, you were bossing me about all the time.

Rhona: You kept wanting to break off from our mission to have a snowball fight! Anyway, there’s lots of wildlife there, Charlie.

Simon: I reckon I could spend hours just watching the whales. They’re like sea acrobats!

Amy: But tourists don’t even have to get off the cruise ship to cause harm.

Charlie: What harm can you do on a ship?

Amy: Fuel-burning cruise ships create something called black carbon that pollutes the air. It also darkens the snow, which makes it melt faster.

Rusty: Hey, we were investigating some tiny creatures that make the snow melt faster.

Amy: Well, I bet black carbon makes it melt much faster than they do.

Rhona: Hmm, you’re starting to convince me, Amy. Less ice is bad for lots of wildlife there.

Amy: I did some research. An average tourist trip there creates over five tons of carbon dioxide gas emissions.

Rhona: And it’s amazing to see dozens of penguins slipping and sliding across a glacier.

Charlie: That’s the gas that contributes to global warming!

Amy: Exactly – and that’s per passenger. And, of course, flights there warm the planet, too.

Simon: Wait a minute! Every plane journey you make anywhere speeds up the melting. Even a long car journey melts some polar ice. You can’t expect people to just sit at home and never go anywhere.

Rusty: I wouldn’t mind if I had lots of cool video games to play.

Rhona: No, Simon’s right, none of us wants to stop travelling to interesting places.

Rusty: I wouldn’t mind if I had lots of-

Rhona: We heard you the first time, Rusty!

Simon: Sure, countries need to cut their carbon emissions. But you won’t get public support for protecting Antarctica if you completely close it off.

Rhona: Yes, visits there are educational. It’s how we learn about its amazing wildlife.

Simon: And tourism helps fund the conservation efforts and research projects there. Some of the money goes towards those things.

Charlie: Couldn’t they get holidaymakers to help even more?

Rhona: Yes, they could get lessons on conservation – and even help with research projects.

Amy: They won’t want to work if they’re on holiday!

Rhona: I mean fun stuff, like taking part in seabird surveys.

Charlie: Or photographing whales and helping to track their movements.

Rusty: I’d be scared to take photos in case an apple-tross swoops down and snatches my phone.

Rhona: It’s an albatross, Rusty.

Rusty: Where??!

Rhona: Get out from under the table. There isn’t one here!

Simon: OK, so every tourist leaves a footprint of some kind, but what if visits are carefully controlled?

Rhona: Yes, and we keep monitoring their effects on the place.

Amy: Well, it would have to be more than just counting the number of tourists.

Simon: They could keep careful checks on the effects people are having – and set up guidelines for how to behave.

Rhona: And keep putting money made from holidays into protecting the place.

Amy: I reckon this debate has made us all think.

Rusty: It’s made me think about ice lollies. I’m off to the freezer to get one!

© Randy Green/Alamy Stock Photo

Wandering Albatross

South Georgia Island, Southern Ocean

© Nature

Picture

Library/Alamy Stock

Photo

Weddell Seal Looking Up From Ice-Hole

Ross Sea, Antarctica

Wildlife News!

This time, I have great nature photos, escaped emus and a baaaarilliant rescue mission!

Rhona Reports! N0. 48

NATURE PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 2023!

The results of this year’s Nature Photographer of the Year competition are in! Jacquie Matechuk from Canada is the overall winner with her stunning photo of a spectacled bear.

This species lives in the Andean Mountain Range in Ecuador, South America. Jacquie walked for 11 days at over 2,400 metres above sea level to find some. She and her guide hiked through creeks, got soaked by rainstorms and squelched through mud to watch the beautiful bears. She said they kept a respectful distance away, and the bears soon accepted them.

A large male bear she named Tony climbed up a 100-year-old fig tree seeking shelter from the midday sun. He wandered along a burly branch and sat peacefully against the tree’s trunk. When a gentle rain began to fall,

And don’t forget about me – Rusty!

Rhona’s helper: JD Savage

he turned to look up as if he was enjoying the cool splashes sploshing on his face. That’s the moment captured in the photo. Jacquie named it He Looks to the Heavens.

But who tests their eyes for the spectacles?

Rusty

Don’t be ridiculous, Rusty, they don’t actually wear spectacles! The rings of fur around their eyes just make it look like they do.

NEWSFLASH!

Crabs evolved to live on land, away from the ocean, up to 17 different times!

PAPER NAUTILUS RIDER

The Undersea category had some great winners, too. Just look at this photo taken in the Philippines by Renee Capozolla. It reminds me of my annoying little brother Rusty, but it’s not him!

It’s a female paper nautilus (say “naw-til-lus”). She’s riding a jellyfish to the surface at night to feed and give her eggs some air. That’s not a hat – it’s an egg case!

© Jacquie Matechuk/NPOTY 2023

Here’s a fun fact about nautiluses. The males are less than 2.5cm long but the females grow to over 37cm!

That’s not fair!

NEWSFLASH!

In a small Polish town, a pair of escaped goats politely visited a library, a church, a nail salon and a furniture store. Police finally found them standing at a bus stop as if waiting for a bus!

THE PEN AND INKWELL

I just had to show you the winning photo from the Animal Portraits category taken by Jonathan Lhoir in southern France.

Greater flamingos come to look for food in the water, even when it’s mega-muddy. When they lift their heads out, a thin film of mud clings to their feathers for a few seconds.

He called his photo The Pen and Inkwell because the bird’s head and beak look like a pen nib that’s been dipped in black ink!

NEWSFLASH!

Anemones (say “a-nemo-nees”) are the first known animals to follow the sun like plants do. The wild snakelock species keeps its tentacles aimed at the sun as it moves through the sky, getting energy from its light!

RETURN TO THE WILD!

A common seal pup found alone and tired on a North Yorkshire beach was returned to the sea. The RSPCA had spent four months helping to look after him before his release.

After his mum and dad didn’t show up for 24 hours, an RSPCA officer took him from the sand in a special bag. He had seal mouth rot, an infection that gave him a very sore mouth. They named him Cranberry.

After weeks of treatment from a number of vets, he was well enough to return to the wild and swim free again. Now he wears a special tag, so they’ll know it’s him if he turns up again!

It’s hard work to rescue and return seals – don’t the rescuers do a great job?

Remember, it’s normal for seals to come out on to beaches to rest, and their pups are sometimes left alone for a while.

Whale Greetings Card

See step-by-step instructions on page 34 of your magazine.

Key: glue spot/area cut lines attach to area mountain fold valley fold guide for Template 2 guide for Template 3

Template 2

If you ever see a lone one, always keep well away. Never try to move it back into the water yourself, and keep dogs away.

ESCAPED EMUS!

I keep hearing reports about escaped animals this month – especially emus!

You wouldn’t be surprised to see an emu or two in the Australian outback. You’d be much more startled to see these flightless birds running loose when you took your pet to a vet in Essex.

Yet a couple of 1.8-metrehigh emus turned up in a vet’s car park there. Some visitors stayed in their cars, afraid, while one emu chased those who tried to run to the building. They were not emu-sed!

The birds were safely returned to their owner the next day. Their enclosure there had blown down in a strong wind.

NEWSFLASH!

A rare sei whale was spotted and photographed swimming next to paddleboarders near Joppa in my wonderful country, Scotland!

Meanwhile, an escaped emu named Rodney turned up in nearby Kent in a town called, ahem, Loose! A lady living there heard tapping on her door. Her doorbell camera captured footage

RESC-EWE MISSION!

Fiona the ewe (say “you”: a female sheep) spent over two years alone on a rocky Highland shore at the bottom of steep cliffs. She had lots of grass to eat, plus water, and shelter in several caves – but no company. Remember, sheep normally live in flocks. Poor Fiona became known as the world’s loneliest sheep.

A charity fund quickly raised over £10,000 to

of the six-month-old bird trying to get in.

The police returned Rodney to his worried owners for an emutional reunion!

save her. She was finally rescued when a group of volunteers winched her up the extremely steep slope. It was tricky – but Fiona, with her huge woolly coat, stayed calm. Now she’s being looked after at a farm where fans have checked in on her via a webcam over three million times.

Now I guess she’s the most talked-about sheep!

She should have her own EweTube channel!

FIVE-POINTED HEADS!

Hi, Rusty fans!

My annoying sister Rhona has used a lot of puns this month. It’s as if she thinks she’s the funny kid in this family. Well, she’s not – I am! I’ll prove it when I’m a world famous comedian.

Now here’s something funny. You know starfish? Yes, those marine creatures with five pointy arms (although some species have up to 40!). More people call them sea stars now because they’re not actually fish. But I still call them starfish because it annoys Rhona!

Well, have you ever wondered where their heads are? “No, because they don’t have one,” I hear you say. Well, they do. What they don’t have are bodies!

Scientists now say that they’re just a big, squished

head. Yes, each starfish is a head that crawls around the seafloor on its lips. “Look, Rusty, we know you’re a genius, but they have limbs!” I bet you fans are saying now.

No, it seems those ‘arms’ are actually extensions of the head! Scientists now think they’re a head-like animal with five stickingout bits, a mouth facing the ground and a bum on the other side facing upwards.

I wouldn’t mind being just a head. I wouldn’t have to bother getting dressed, and Rhona could wheel me around on a trolley!

Rusty

They’re sea stars not starfish, Rusty!!!

I JUST HOPE I DON’T GET A HEADACHE!

WONDERFUL WHALES

Amy’s helper: Josette Reeves

I thought nothing could live in the cold and remote Southern Ocean, but I was very wrong!

OK, so the Southern Ocean might be a bit BRRRR, but whales seem to love it. Some visit during the summer months to feed in its food-filled waters, while others stay here all year long. Let’s meet some of this extreme ocean’s most wonderful whales!

Baleen vs Teeth

Let’s get one thing straight first! Have you ever heard people talking about baleen whales and toothed whales? I discovered that all whales are either one or the other.

Baleen whales have no teeth. Instead, they have bristle-covered plates in their mouths called baleen. To feed, they

take in mouthfuls of krill or other tiny creatures, along with lots of seawater (yuck!). The prey sticks to the baleen bristles, while the water flows back out to sea. How clever! It’s like when my dad drains the water from cooked spaghetti when he’s making bolognese.

Toothed whales usually have – surprise, surprise – teeth! This means they can grab larger prey. Dolphins are part of the toothed whale family, so all dolphins are actually whales!

Antarctic minke whale

The marvellous minke (say “mink-ee”) is perfectly adapted to an Antarctic lifestyle. It has a much smaller body than its enormous relative, the blue whale. This helps it to manoeuvre around floating ice, guzzling the krill that live there. The minke also makes use of its pointy snout to poke breathing holes in the ice!

Amy’s quiz: Can you guess which bird may also use the minke's breathing holes? Answer at the bottom of the next page!

This beautiful baleen whale needs sea ice, not only as a feeding spot but also as a place to hide from its dreaded predator, the killer whale. But Antarctic ice is melting due to climate change. I really hope the minkes can adapt. This ocean just wouldn’t be the same without them.

Mystery Solved!

In the 1960s, submarine crews in the Southern Ocean heard a very strange quacking sound coming from beneath the waves. Scientists only recently discovered the culprits. That’s right, it was Antarctic minke whales! These chatterboxes also rumble, boom and growl.

Sperm whale

You couldn’t really mistake a sperm whale for anything else, with that massive, square head. The brain inside is enormous, too. In fact, the sperm whale has the biggest brain of ANY animal. It weighs up to 9kg, which is over six times heavier than the human brain! Scientists think their colossal brains are for talking to each other with special sounds and navigating the depth of the sea.

Sperm whales can be found in all the world’s oceans, but only male sperm whales live in the chilly waters of the Southern Ocean. Females prefer to stay in warmer areas.

Fun Fact

The sperm whale is the largest toothed predator on the planet. Its massive head houses up to 52 formidable teeth, each one weighing about 1kg!

Sperm whales are incredible divers. To find prey like squid and fish, sperm whales dive down for thousands of metres. They can hold their breath for up to two hours! It’s gloomy in the deep sea but they can ‘see’ by using echolocation –creating sound waves and then listening to the echoes that bounce back off prey.

If you thought that was impressive, listen to this: sperm whales are basically ocean gardeners! It’s because their poo is really rich in iron. The iron acts as fertiliser, helping tiny, plant-like phytoplankton bloom in the water. This is great news because phytoplankton soak up loads of carbon dioxide, one of the gases responsible for climate change. Answer:

Hourglass dolphin

I don’t think I’ve ever seen a dolphin as beautiful as this. Look at those gorgeous hourglass-like markings! It’s as though they’re always dressed up for a formal occasion in the cold waters of the Southern Ocean. They’re mysterious, too – they’re not seen very often, so humans don’t know much about them.

They usually hang out in pods of about seven dolphins, though there can be as many as 100 in a pod. And they just love riding the waves produced by boats or large whales. This is known as bow-riding and many dolphin species do it. Why? Maybe it saves energy moving in this way, or maybe it’s just FUN!

Fun Fact

At around 1.8 metres long, hourglass dolphins are about 10 times smaller than sperm whales.

Southern right whale

The magnificent southern right is a baleen whale, relying on its mouth bristles to capture tasty, tiny crustaceans. It’s also one of the most unusual-looking whales I investigated. I bet you’re wondering what all those bumpy bits on its head are!

The bumps are called callosities and are rough patches of skin. Barnacles and lice live on them! The pattern made by the callosities is as unique as a human fingerprint. This means scientists studying these whales can tell each individual apart.

Fun Fact

Southern right whales are very acrobatic. They can breach and also do headstands, turning themselves upside down and sticking their tails in the air!

Why is it called a southern right whale? Because it was once known as the ‘right’ whale to hunt – it was full of valuable meat

and oil, and was also slow and easy to catch. This whale was once almost hunted to extinction. Thankfully, its population has grown over the last century.

I just think it’s the right whale to love!

Humpback whale

There are so many amazing things about humpbacks but my favourite might be their singing. Male whales create haunting songs that can travel for over 30 kilometres. And they can sing for over 20 hours non-stop! We’re not sure why they do this but it might be to attract mates or to show off to other males.

Fun Fact

Humpbacks are one of many whale species who like to spyhop. Spyhopping is when a whale sticks its head out of the water to see what’s going on above the waves. How nosy!

To catch food, these baleen whales sometimes use a very clever hunting strategy called bubble-net feeding. Here’s how it works:

y While swimming in a spiral, the whale blows bubbles out of its blowholes.

y The bubbles act as a net, pushing prey (like krill) closer together.

y The whale lunges at the prey and gulps it down with its ginormous mouth!

Humpbacks often team up with each other to create these grub-grabbing nets.

I can’t possibly decide which wonderful whale is my favourite! How about you?

Vocabulary

Breach: Jump out of the water.

Pod: A group of sea mammals such as whales or dolphins.

SOUTHERN OCEAN WEIRDNESS!

I suspected the Southern Ocean would be weird –and I was right!

That wild, remote ocean is so hard to explore, I bet many mysteries lurk in its cold waters – especially under its floating ice crusts!

Sometimes, you can see the deep, dark waters below those ice sheets. How? Through mysterious holes that often appear in them! They’re called polynyas, and Antarctic wildlife makes good use of them. They give seals, penguins and other animals a chance to gulp air after swimming underwater. Even whales and dolphins are mammals that need to breathe air into their lungs – just like us.

Simon’s helper: JD Savage

Humungous hole

Sometimes, these polynyas can be real shockers.

In 1974, a truly huge hole opened up in the Southern Ocean’s ice. It was about the size of New Zealand! This was the Weddell Sea Polynya, and it remained over the next two winters, despite temperatures too cold to melt ice.

It was a mystery – which then disappeared for decades. A new gaping mega-hole appeared in that same frozen sea 40 years later in 2016. So, how do we explain them?

Flipping the ocean

Scientists found a likely answer with the help of floating robots called drifters and deep-diving seals wearing little hats that transmit data to satellites above Earth.

Strong winter storms almost flip the ocean waters over, so warmer, saltier water from the bottom swaps and mixes with colder water at the surface. So, heat from the deep seems to melt holes in the floating ice on top!

Strange new life

Imagine living under 900 metres of solid ice!

The Filchner-Ronne Ice Shelf is that thick. When researchers drilled through it, they got a big surprise. At first, they were annoyed. They kept hitting a big mysterious rock while trying to get mud samples. It’s a pretty flat seafloor, so they wondered how they’d drilled in possibly the one place with a sunken rock in the way! (And how did it even get there?)

They sent down a special camera that revealed strange shapes clinging to the rock. They seemed to be large sponges and stalk-like animals. They look like filter feeders, which take in lots of tiny prey at once by passing water through their bodies. Yet, as well as no light or heat, there were no food sources down there! How did they eat – and how often?

They may be completely unknown species. Are there other rocks down there also covered in weird, extreme lifeforms?

Do unknown animals move around, somehow supplying them with food? We don’t know!

Fun Fact

Scientists have discovered over 100 underwater volcanoes hidden beneath Antarctica’s ice sheets!

Mystery lake

Lake Vostok is buried below about four kilometres of ice in East Antarctica. It may have been hidden under there for 15 million years or longer, cut off from contact with the atmosphere all that time. Might it host extreme forms of life? Finding out could be like exploring an alien planet…

Russian scientists drilled holes through the ice to the lake’s surface in 2012 and 2015. But what did they find there?

Here’s what it’s like drilling through – to core means to take samples from an ice sheet

You’ll find Lake Vostok four kilometres below this!

About 94% of what they found in their water samples was teeny bacteria, and the other 6% was mostly fungi. But their drilling may not have been the best way to get clean, pure water samples from that lake.

CASE HISTORY: A MONSTERPUS?

A British newspaper reported that the team found something much bigger. It claimed that one of the scientists said they all battled a giant octopus-like creature down there. It had 14 arms, was 10 metres long and could hypnotise its prey. Known as Organism 46-B, it attacked from over 45 metres away by shooting venom through the water. It could even change shape to look like a human diver to trick the team – yet they captured it! Whaaaat??? Was Organism 46-B for real? It’s a big NO. It was just a made-up story from a website that publishes funny fake news that the newspaper took seriously. Those scientists couldn’t even go into the lake. Yet the story left many people talking about Organism 46-B and wondering if it exists!

QUICK QUIZ

What is Lake Vostok’s only water supply down there? The answer’s below.

But many real weird creatures live at all Southern Ocean depths. The deepest dwellers include hairy-chested Hoff crabs They live on the ocean floor, often packed together with up to 700 crabs per square metre. They use their body hairs to trap and harvest tiny bacteria to eat!

What’s weird about having a chest hair farm?

QUICK QUIZ

Melted ice from that huge ice sheet above it!

Fun Fact

Under one ice shelf, we found fish that swim upside down. They use that ice covering roof as their undersea world’s floor!

Polar giants

There are giant sea spiders with legs of 25 centimetres or more – about as long as a ruler! In fact, they are almost all legs. Their guts and other organs are even in their legs!

There are over 1,000 species of sea spiders. Many are so small they’re almost invisible. They only grow huge in the cold polar waters.

No, it’s not on stilts!

Fun Fact

Giant sea spiders slurp up their prey through long, tube-like mouths.

Don’t panic if you don’t like spiders. You’ll never meet a giant Antarctic one unless you visit the Southern Ocean’s floor. Also, they’re not even true spiders!

We also find huuuuge sponges and scale worms that grow as long as an adult human’s lower arm. The Southern Ocean’s legendary colossal squids are also massive – although one can survive on a single fish for months!

What is it about those weird waters that make some of their creatures grow huge?

Maybe it helps them survive in these tough environments. If you’re bigger, you can move faster and further to find food if there’s not much about. Maybe the cold slows their bodies down, so some live longer and grow bigger. The truth is, it’s a big mystery.

The water beneath giant floating ice shelves is one of Earth’s least-known habitats. I bet there’s lots more weirdness to discover!

© Minden Pictures/Alamy Stock

Photo

Quiz Planet

Southern Ocean Crossword

Down:

1. The largest whale to have lived on Earth.

2. This regal Antarctic bird is the largest of its kind.

3. What type of whales have bristly plates instead of teeth?

4. The world’s fastest swimming birds.

8. A ‘white-blooded’ fish with antifreeze superpowers.

Across:

5. This friendly seal spends most of its time hunting under the Antarctic ice.

6. A misnamed, krill-loving seal.

7. The largest member of the dolphin family.

9. Which whale has the biggest brain?

10. Tiny crustacean, a key food source for various animals.

Wild Questions

Down:

1. How long can a wandering albatross fly without flapping?

Across:

Test your knowledge with these multiple-choice questions. No wild guesses!

1. The largest whale to have lived on Earth.

3. What do gentoo penguins use to build their nests?

a. 20 minutes

b. 46 days

2. Why was the albatross circling the Southern Ocean for days before meeting Charlie?

5. This friendly seal spends

4. How did the right whale get its name?

6. A misnamed, krill-loving

2. This regal Antarctic bird is the largest of its hunting under the Antarctic kind.

a. Ice and snow

3. What type of whales have bristly plates

b. Stones

a. It was the ‘right’ whale to hunt

7. The largest member of instead of teeth?

c. Several hours

d. One hour

c. Nothing, they don’t build nests

9. Which whale holds the

a. To enjoy the wind

b. It understands ocean currents

4. The world’s fastest swimming birds. deepest dives?

b. To forage for food

8. A "white-blooded" fish with antifreeze

c. To find a mate

d. Sticks and feathers

10. Tiny crustacean, a key superpowers. various animals.

d. To practice longdistance flying

c. It circles around Antarctica clockwise

d. It’s the ‘right’ whale to love

Christmas Tree Maze

Find the right way from the bottom of the tree to the star!

Joke Corner

I'm glad I'm all white to blend in with the environment unlike those other silly birds.

Find the answers on page 33.

Over to You

In our October ‘Ready, Steady, Glow!’ issue, we asked you to create glowing art and, wow, were the entries glorious! Thank you to everyone who sent us their bioluminescent works-of-art.

Congratulations to our four winners:

Vijay, age 10, Northampton Fireflies

Noah, age 10, Portugal

Glowing Mushrooms

Monthly Project

Whale Greetings Card

Create your own unique whale greetings card and make someone smile!

Follow these step-by-step instructions.

1. Cut out all templates and fold along all the dotted and dashed lines, using the key as a guide.

2. Colour the Background template dark blue. Use gold for the stars and some of the snow details.

3. Colour Template 3 using dark and light blue for the waves, light blue for the water droplets and dark blue for the whale. You can also add gold dots to the whale’s back.

4. Colour Templates 1 and 2 using green for the trees, dark blue for the sky, and dark/light blue for the waves. Use gold for the stars and some of the snow details.

5. Apply glue to the tabs of Template 3 as shown, and stick it down to the Background template where shown.

Make sure the edges of Template 3 line up with the green guides on the Background template. Ensure that the bottom edge of Template 3 also aligns with the bottom edge of the Background template.

6. Apply glue to the tabs of Template 2 as shown and affix it to the Background template. Ensure that the edges of Template 2 align with the orange guides on the Background template. Also, make sure the bottom edge of Template 2 aligns with the bottom edge of the Background template.

7. Apply glue to the tabs of Template 1 as shown and stick down to the Background template. Ensure that the bottom edge of Template 1 aligns with the bottom edge of the Background template.

Your whale greetings card is complete!

Now you can add your own heartfelt message on the back of the card for the special person in your life.

Monthly Competition Whale Greetings Card

This month is all about giving, spreading love, and making people around us smile. We’re inviting you to make a splash with your very own whale greetings card. Open this magazine to the middle and you’ll find all the templates you need for this competition. Simply pull them out. Follow the instructions on the opposite page

to create your card. Feel free to use the suggested colours or let your imagination flow and create your own style.

Once you’ve finished, remember to snap a picture of your card and send it to us before giving the card itself to that special person. Tell us who this greetings card is for and why. We’d love to hear about the special people in your life and can’t wait to see your creations.

FIVE lucky readers will win our new ocean-themed crafts booklet.

Eco Kids Planet –Ocean Papercrafts

By Shobna Patel

Six 3D eco crafts complete with templates and instructions.

Bring the ocean to your room with our new craft booklet, which includes six fantastic ocean-themed crafts by our brilliant artist Shobhna Patel. Enjoy hours of fun cutting out, assembling and colouring your marine creations. Here’s what you can make:

1. A lovely sea turtle

2. A playful dolphin scene

3. An incredible octopus

4. A stunning jellyfish decoration

5. A colourful ocean playset

6. A cheeky shark finger puppet

All the templates are included, so you can dive straight into the fun and easily make these paper toys yourself.

Ages 7+.

RRP: £6.90

Available on our site: www.ecokidsplanet.co.uk/ocean-papercrafts

How to submit your entries: Send a photo of your greetings card to win@ecokidsplanet.co.uk. Your entry must arrive before 10th January 2023. Make sure you include your full name, age and address, so we know how to reach you.

Unlikely Friendships

Between trees and animals

Saving

Our Forests

What are the plans?

Tree Myths and Folklore

Which Tree Dweller Are You?

Take a test!

Tree Dwellers

The legends and folklore of UK trees Poison Dart Frogs