Ocean animal migrations · seed 1 · A4, ink-friendly. The answer key prints on its own page for grown-ups.

The long journeys of ocean animals

Science · Ocean Life · ages 9-11
Name ______________________   Date ____________
  1. Where does a female sea turtle often return when she is ready to nest?

    • Only to whichever beach is closest that day
    • Near her hatching beach or region
    • To the seabed far below the ocean surface
  2. Which animal has populations that migrate between Antarctic feeding waters and warmer tropical breeding waters?

    • A humpback whale
    • A clownfish on a coral reef
    • A sea star on the sea floor
  3. Seeing a young fish drift once to a new reef is enough to show that it makes a repeated migration.

    Circle one:   True   False

  4. Imagine a whale swims 5,000 miles to its breeding area and 5,000 miles back to its feeding area. How many miles is the whole round trip?

    Answer: ______________

  5. A southern humpback follows the seasonal route in the lesson. After summer feeding near Antarctica, what is it likely to do in winter?

    • Remain at the feeding grounds all winter
    • Travel to warmer waters to breed
    • Follow krill into the deepest part of the sea
  6. A turtle nests near her Florida hatching beach, but on a different patch of sand. How does this compare with the common pattern in the lesson?

    • It rules out the pattern because every nest must use the same sand
    • It rules out the pattern because nesting beaches must change regions
    • It fits the pattern of returning near the hatching area
  7. In two invented one-way routes, a whale travels 5,000 miles and a turtle travels 1,500 miles. How many more miles does the whale travel?

    Answer: ______________

  8. Priya says the humpback migration in the lesson is only about reaching warm water. Which fact adds the feeding reason she has missed?

    • The whales return to cold feeding seas for krill
    • The whales stay in warm water because it supplies all their food
    • The whales make every journey only to get away from ships
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Answer key

For grown-ups. Fold this page away before handing over the rest.

The long journeys of ocean animals W1-mt_Te-ulgYMUd-s1

  1. Near her hatching beach or region · Many females return near their hatching beach or region. They lay their eggs on land.
  2. A humpback whale · Some southern humpback whales follow this seasonal route between feeding and breeding areas.
  3. False · One journey to a new home does not show a repeated journey between places.
  4. 10000 · Add both journeys: 5,000 + 5,000 = 10,000 miles.
  5. Travel to warmer waters to breed · Many southern humpbacks travel from cold summer feeding grounds to warmer winter breeding waters.
  6. It fits the pattern of returning near the hatching area · Returning near a hatching area does not require returning to the exact same patch of sand.
  7. 3500 · Subtract the shorter one-way route: 5,000 - 1,500 = 3,500 miles farther.
  8. The whales return to cold feeding seas for krill · The repeated route includes cold feeding waters as well as warmer breeding waters.
Worksheet · LightMySky