Spook-tacular Ocean-themed Pumpkin Carving Stencils
Choose between ten pumpkin stencil designs
Pick your favorite jack-o’-lantern stencil inspired by the ocean, our NOAA Fisheries mission, and research on the West Coast.
Don’t forget to share your fa-boo-lous pumpkin masterpiece on social media! Tag us on Facebook or Instagram @noaafisherieswestcoast and we’ll feature your creation!
Use the hashtags #WestGhost #SpookyScience #FishyPumpkins
Additional NOAA pumpkin carving stencils can be found at the following links:
- Pumpkin Carving Stencils for Ocean Lovers
- Get Spooky with NOAA Education’s Halloween Pumpkin Carving Templates
- Get Ready for Halloween with NOAA Ocean-Observing Pumpkin Stencils
Choose between ten pumpkin stencil designs including:
The Rocky Horror Rockfish
Fun Fact: Did you know that every spring since 1983, NOAA’s Rockfish Recruitment and Ecosystem Assessment Survey has sampled the California Current Marine Ecosystem? This allows researchers to monitor the abundance of numerous species and track their response to changing ocean conditions.
Rockfish pumpkin carving template. Download the Rocky Horror Rockfish stencil PDF.
Boo-Fin Tuna
Fun Fact: Bluefin tuna migrate from California to their original spawning grounds in central Japan and the northern Philippines. A nearly 6,000-mile journey that takes as little as 55 days for the speedy fish! Did you know Pacific bluefin tuna recently achieved a major recovery milestone? The species went from overfished to exceeding sustainable harvest levels a decade ahead of schedule.
Bluefin Tuna pumpkin carving template. Download the Boo-Fin Tuna stencil PDF.
Sea Nettle Jellyfish
Fun Fact: Like all jellies, sea nettle tentacles are packed with tiny barbed stingers that inject a paralyzing toxin into their prey. Did you know that in recent decades, large “blooms” of sea nettles, and other jellies, have increased in frequency and size along the West Coast?
Sea Nettle Jellyfish pumpkin carving template. Download the Sea Nettle Jellyfish stencil PDF.
Starface: The Sunflower Sea Star
Fun Fact: This 20-armed sea star species plays an important ecological role by helping control sea urchin populations in kelp forests and other vegetated nearshore habitats. Did you know the sunflower sea star may soon be listed under the Endangered Species Act?
Sunflower Sea Star pumpkin carving template. Download Starface: The Sunflower Sea Star stencil PDF.
Anglerfish
Fun Fact: An Anglerfish – distinguished by the rod protruding from its head used to attract prey, the fish also has flexible bones and a stomach that can be expanded, allowing it to swallow fish that are twice its size.
Anglerfish pumpkin carving template. Download the anglerfish stencil PDF.
Phantom Salmon
Fun Fact: Pacific salmon and steelhead have a dynamic life cycle that includes time in fresh and saltwater habitats. These fish are born in freshwater streams and rivers, migrate to coastal estuaries, then enter the ocean where they mature. They usually return as adults to the same streams where they were born to lay eggs or “spawn” and begin the cycle again. After salmon die, their carcasses are a valuable source of energy and nutrients to the river ecosystem. Carcasses have been shown to improve streams by contributing nitrogen and phosphorous compounds like fertilizer in your garden.
Phantom Salmon pumpkin carving template. Download the Phantom Salmon stencil PDF.
Fish Skeleton
Fun Fact: Did you know that NOAA Fisheries scientists examine old fish parts for information, like how old fish are and how fish may have lived centuries ago? Our researchers determine the ages of 20-30,000 fish each year by examining fish parts, like fish otoliths, which are hard, calcium carbonate structures located near the brain that help with balance and hearing, but also their spines, vertebrae, and fin rays. Examining old fish parts has even revealed how fish responded to intense fishing and warming in the 17th century.
Fish Skeleton pumpkin carving template. Download the Fish Skeleton stencil PDF.
Creepy Cephalopod
Fun Facts: Did you know that cephalopods regrow severed limbs? They also have blue blood, three hearts, and can change their color and skin texture to match their surroundings. The giant squid has the largest eyes in the animal kingdom, roughly the size of a volleyball!
Creepy Cephalopod pumpkin carving template. Download the Creepy Cephalopod stencil PDF.
Spectral Sea Turtle
Fun Fact: Did you know the largest recorded east Pacific green turtle is from San Diego Bay and weighed 540 pounds (245 kg)? Originating from nesting beaches in Mexico, Pacific green turtles come to California to take advantage of the productive coastal ecosystems, which are rich in seagrass, algae, and invertebrates. This diet is what gives their fat a greenish color, which is where their name comes from!
Spectral Sea Turtle pumpkin carving template. Download the Spectral Sea Turtle stencil PDF.
Frightful Finfish
Fun Fact: Finfish are the most diverse group of vertebrates, with over 32,000 species worldwide. Fish are cold-blooded, meaning their body temperature is not constant and is affected by the environment. Fish also breathe through gills instead of lungs like humans and other mammals. Did you know that fish have taste buds from head to tail and they communicate with each other using sounds, scents, electrical pulses, and motions?
Frightful Finfish pumpkin carving template. Download the Frightful Finfish stencil PDF.