Hi there, my name is Maddy and I'm a Mako shark and I've come along to have some fun with you this term!
I hear my friends have taught you to swim well? Well you are in luck as I am known as the fastest shark in the sea so you will have to become even quicker to catch me! Are you ready to swim a "near perfect stroke" and a giant strike with fins on! I am, and I can't wait so see you soon!
Let me tell you a little bit more …
This term we are setting our standards even higher than we have before. The children will be attempting "near perfect stroke" across the width of the pool in front crawl, back stroke and breaststroke. Of course the strokes are often not "perfect" but the shorter distances swum allow your child to concentrate better on his/her stroke with your teacher giving them credit for what they have got right and feedback on the specific areas of their strokes that require further improvement. It is amazing to see how refined their stroke work has become!
We will also be introducing the concept of the individual medley this term with all three strokes swum one after the other as well as a "giant entry with fins" and some more fun scooter skills!
I am known to the entire sea life world, as an incredible and fast beast! I love to race with all my friends and can swim up to an amazing 60 mph and have been titled "the fastest shark species in the world'! We are going to have lots of fun this term and I am going to help you swim a "near perfect stroke" so you can swim as fast as me!
Some people think I am a "mean" looking shark, as my teeth are visible even when my mouth is closed but I really am friendly and love to play! My favourite game is to jump high out of the water, which I am often seen doing. People think I do it because I am looking for fish but I really do it because its lots of fun!
I live deep beneath the ocean waves, often living at depths of 200 metres and below during the day. We call this the mesopelagic zone. It sounds really cool, and is a Greek word used to describe waters between 200-1000 metres deep! During the night I come up to feed and swim into the Epipelagic zone which is from the surface to 200 metres deep. I have to come up to this depth as my food lives here and there's not much happening much deeper!
I am a "Longfin" Mako but there is another species called a "Shortfin" Mako. I am the larger species and will grow to 4.5 metres in length but my "shortfin" cousins are only half the size of me. You can find my family and me all over the world and I can live in warm and coolers waters sometimes close to the shore or hunting for yummy fish to eat in the deep!
My body shape is said to be quite similar to a Omari the Oceanic Whitetip and Bradley the Blue Shark, two friends of mine you've already met. I belong to a family of sharks often referred to as mackerel sharks. Us mackerel sharks have a really cool system which means we conserve our body heat really well, keeping us warm in the cool waters where we swim. Lucky for you that's not a problem as your pool's kept nice and warm for you when you go swimming!
I can't wait to watch you in your swimming lessons but you will have to swim extra fast if you want to catch a peek of me!
Next term, you will be meeting Harry The Hammerhead