Tell us a story: how did the colossal squid get to Te Papa?

Our beloved colossal squid (the only one on display in the world) has been a whānau favourite since 2008 – but how did it get here? Tell us a ‘tall tale’ or a factual story about how it came to Te Papa. You could write, draw, or animate your story.

Education type

Whānau challenge

Read pages 8 and 9 of the colossal squid activity book to find out how the squid got to Te Papa, or make up your own story!

Inspiration

Colossal squid, Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni Robson, collected 2008, Ross Sea, Antarctica. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0. Te Papa (M.277964)

The Curioseum: Collected Stories of the Odd and Marvellous, 2014. Te Papa Press

A black and white photo of a fishing boat surrounded by ice, there's ice covering the boat too

Whaling in the Ross Sea, 1924, by Unknown. Te Papa (B.077495)

Videos

Other useful resources

The colossal squid activity book (page 8 and 9 tells the real story of how the colossal squid came to Te Papa)

The arms and tentacles of the colossal squid

The beak of the colossal squid

The eyes of the colossal squid

See how others took on the challenge

How to colossal squid came to Te Papa, by Tilly age 10

Using Plasticine and Lego to create a stop motion animation video with a tablet device, by Lennox and Frankie age 7 and 4

Want to use stop motion? Watch a video to learn how to do it

Introduction to stop motion – English

Introduction to stop motion – te reo Māori

Colossal squid at Te Papa

We have one colossal squid on display, but did you know we have three colossal squid specimens in our collection?

The anatomy of the colossal squid

Discover all about the anatomy this deep sea beast. Learn about it's massive eyes, sharp beak, and long hooked tentacles.

The life and habits of a colossal squid

We know very little about the colossal squid’s life history, diet, or behaviour, because they live at extreme depths in freezing water, but here's what we do know...