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We asked you to dive deep into your imagination and invent a mysterious sea creature – and you didn’t disappoint! From glowing krakens and ancient owls to daring underwater adventures, your stories were packed with suspense, surprises and creativity.
We received so many fantastic entries from across the UK (and beyond!) – thank you to everyone who took part. It was incredibly hard to choose, but after much reading and re-reading, we’re thrilled to announce our four winning stories.
Ewan Kim, age 12, United States
In the 1960s, a submarine dive to Challenger Deep was launched. While descending, flashing lights blinked through the windows. Click, click, click.
Out of nowhere, a black silhouette darted by. It had pectoral fins similar to squid tentacles, a bioluminescent dorsal fin, and a menacing jaw with sharp teeth similar to anglerfish.
“Ahhh, there’s something out there! Quick, dive deeper before that monstrosity attacks us!”
After this spotting, people started to create tall tales about this creature. One tale states that it was a monster used by aliens to kill all humans.
In 2023, an injured animal that resembled the one from the 1960s tale washed ashore on Papua New Guinea. Scientists attempted to rescue it by stitching up its wounds. While doing so, they discovered that this strange creature was actually a new species of dolphin. To learn more about it, they tagged it with a camera and satellite tag before pushing it back into the ocean.
A month later, scientists revisited the beach to discover the dolphin they rescued was waiting for them. It gave them a sea sponge as a gift for saving its life. Scientists learned that this dolphin species is intelligent and friendly, using its monstrous features only as a way to hunt for prey. Now named the firefly dolphin, the discovery of this species teaches us that a creature should never be judged by its features.
The abyssal zone. An area of the ocean where humanity rarely ever ventures. The few animals that dwell there are encased in shadow, keeping mainly to themselves. Mia was one of them: a dumbo octopus.
With ear-like fins, and writhing tentacles, she had a thirst for adventure.
One day, when Mia was swimming through an underwater cave, she heard an ominous growl coming from the opposite wall. “Oh no,” Mia whispered quietly. What was making such a frightening noise? She propelled herself forward, the ocean pressure pushing against her body, her many hearts beating with adrenaline.
The growling got louder and louder, and soon a blinding light appeared in the cave. Mia swam closer.
Suddenly, she stopped. She had just remembered what her mum had said “If you ever hear weird growling sounds then see a glowing light, that is an anglerfish.”
“S’up? The name’s Charlie! Don’t worry, I won’t try to eat you,” an anglerfish said out of the darkness. Mia timidly swam closer and introduced herself. Instantly, the two became friends, and played together. “Thanks so much Charlie!” Mia exclaimed.
“My name is Jacob, Super Spy Jacob.”
The anglerfish grinned.
Sam the Octopus-Anglerfish
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Thank you to everyone who sent in an entry for the African Animal Postcard competition, published in our Wild Africa: A Continent in Motion issue. You sent us postcards from every corner of Wild Africa – Ethiopian wolves hunting mole rats through mountain mist, flamingo chicks marching across soda l...
You've been designing brilliant new contenders for the Astonishing Amazon Animal Showdown – piranhas with jaws that regrow in whole quarters, a hoatzin that ferments its dinner in a throat pouch, a tailless whip scorpion that senses danger through its legs, and a jaguar with one of the most powerful bites of any mammal. Thank you to every reader who did the research and made the case for their champion.
