Whale Fall: Mapping Gulfs, Graves and Growth

Homeschool Group

Dates: October 28th
Time: 9:30 AM-3:30 PM
Ages: 8 to 12

Cost: £ 70
Limit: 12 students

What happens when a giant of the sea dies?
In this immersive, hands-on course, students explore the extraordinary ecological journey of whale falls—where a whale’s body, after death, becomes the foundation for a thriving deep-sea ecosystem. Blending science, mapping, and art, this course invites learners to uncover the layers of life beneath the surface.

Through collaborative inquiry, 3D mapping, and research-driven storytelling, students become marine explorers, discovering how whales continue to shape ocean life long after their final dive. From the structure of ocean floors to the succession of scavengers and decomposers, every learner creates and contributes to a laser-cut map that tells the story of life, death, and deep-sea growth.

• Research a whale species and map its environment and migration zones
• Learn how whale falls support hundreds of species across different ocean depths
• Explore the three ecological stages of whale decomposition: scavenger, enrichment-opportunist, and sulfophilic
• Design and build a laser-cut map showing the whale’s journey, its final resting place, and the thriving ecosystem that forms around it