Basking sharks are the second largest fish in the world and the largest fish we have in Scottish waters, reaching up to 12m. But don’t worry, they are a gentle giant! They feed by filtering the water for really small animals called zooplankton – which is why they swim around with their mouths wide open!
JARGON BUSTER! Plankton is the name given to a collection of tiny organisms that float around in aquatic environments. Plankton that is made up of tiny animals or animal-like organisms is called zooplankton – what basking sharks like!
You can find out more about basking sharks on our website here.
Below is a craft you can do with an old plastic bottle to make a version of this magnificent animal.
What you will need:
- A clean, used plastic bottle
- Pieces of coloured paper or card (or colourful magazines or tissue paper)
- A permanent marker pen
- Tape
- A garden cane (or stick)
- Printed activity sheet (optional)
How to make your bottle basking shark:
- Make sure any labels on bottles have been removed and they are rinsed out.
- You can use pictures in the activity guide (next page) for reference. Cut off the ends of the plastic bottle and shape one end for the basking shark’s head. You might need to help your group with this as plastic can be tricky to cut and it can leave sharp edges.
- Using the permanent pen – draw on the eyes and gill slits (sharks have five gill slits on each side). This could be an opportunity to chat to your group about gills – as sharks swim, water is passed over their gills and oxygen is absorbed and transported around the body. They have a nose, but it’s only used to smell!
- Cut the coloured paper or card into strips. Stick them to the end of the bottle basking shark’s body.
- Make two holes, after the bottle basking shark’s eye – one at the top and one at the bottom of the bottle. You may need to help children with this part.
- Push the garden cane or stick through these holes and use tape to hold it in place. Everyone’s bottle basking sharks are now ready to go for a swim! They can use it as a puppet and replicate the shark swimming with its mouth wide open.
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