The vast and diverse ocean is a truly incredible place, covering an astounding 71% of the Earth’s surface. From the beautiful coral reefs to the mysterious phenomena of the Bermuda Triangle, the ocean can be a never-ending source of wonder for kids of all ages.
This collection of thirty fun, kid-friendly ocean facts make for great discussion starters or classroom trivia questions and is sure to spark curiosity and inspire a lifelong love of the sea.
1. There is really just one big and connected ocean.
The amazing ocean is really just one big body of water divided into five parts: the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the Southern (Antarctic) Ocean. There is no actual physical separation between the different regions.
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2. The Pacific Ocean was considered to be “peaceful”.
Ferdinand Magellan, a Portuguese explorer, named the Pacific Ocean pacific or ‘peaceful’ because of the calmness he observed in the water while sailing. While most explorers would agree it is not the most treacherous ocean, read along to discover why it is not necessarily so calm.
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3. The Pacific Ocean contains one-half of the world’s ocean water.
The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean in the world, containing approximately 50.1% of the Earth’s ocean water. That equals about 187 quintillion gallons of water!
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4. The Pacific Ocean borders fifty-five countries.
Being the largest ocean, it may not be surprising to learn that the Pacific Ocean borders so many different countries. Some of those countries include the U.S., Chile, Japan, and Australia.
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5. The Atlantic Ocean is about 1/2 the size of the Pacific.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest ocean, measuring in at about 106,460,000 square kilometers. This is about one-fifth of the Earth’s surface and one-half of the Pacific Ocean.
Learn More: National Ocean Service
6. The Atlantic Ocean is the first ocean to be crossed by both a ship and an aircraft.
The first ship crossed the Atlantic back in the 1850s. Almost a century later, in 1927, Charles Lindberg flew across the Atlantic. One year later, Amelia Earhart was the first female to fly solo across the Atlantic.
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7. The Atlantic Ocean has the highest tides.
The world’s highest tides are located on the East coast of Canada, in the Bay of Fundy. The tide reaches up to fifty-two feet, in contrast to typical tides which only measure a few inches.
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8. The Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean.
Perhaps the most famous ship in the world, the Titanic was making its way from England to America when it hit an iceberg and sank in the deep waters of the Atlantic Ocean, causing the death of over 1500 passengers.
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9. The Indian Ocean is the warmest ocean.
While the warm temperature may be ideal for swimming, it also makes it difficult for phytoplankton to survive and causes the water to evaporate faster than other ocean bodies.
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10. Phytoplankton and algae produce lots of oxygen!
If you’re like most people, you probably thought that most of the Earth’s oxygen came from plants and trees. But you’d be wrong! Scientists estimate that more than one-half of the Earth’s oxygen is produced by the plethora of phytoplankton and algae in our oceans.
Learn More: National Ocean Service
11. The Indian Ocean is considered to be one of the most dangerous for sailing.
The Indian Ocean can have very strong winds and extreme weather conditions due to its warmer temperatures. This fact alone makes it the most deadly ocean, followed by the Atlantic.
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12. The Southern Ocean was not declared an ocean until very recently.
It wasn’t until the year 2000 that this region of water around Antarctica was declared an ocean. While it was recognized by scientists, there was never agreement internationally. Now, most countries recognize the Southern Ocean.
Learn More: Britannica Kids
13. The Southern Ocean is geologically the youngest ocean.
Not only is this ocean the most recently recognized, but it is also the most recently formed, taking its current form about thirty million years ago when Antarctica and South America drifted apart.
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14. The world’s biggest ocean current flows across the Southern Ocean.
The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the world’s biggest ocean current, circling around the Antarctic land in a clockwise direction. It is a rapid and strong flow of Antarctic waters.
Learn More: Just Fun Facts
15. The Arctic Ocean is the smallest ocean.
These cool waters make up the Arctic Ocean, the smallest and shallowest ocean in the world. It is located at the North Pole and is covered in ice year-round – perhaps not the most ideal place for a swim.
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16. The deepest point of the ocean is almost 40,000 feet!
This point is called the Challenger Deep and is estimated to be 39,994 feet deep (much deeper than the average 12,100 feet ocean depth). It was first discovered in the Mariana Trench of the Pacific Ocean, in 1875, aboard the HMS Challenger expedition.
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17. 95% of the deep sea is still uncharted territory.
We have explored so little of the deep sea because of the harsh conditions of these dark waters. The cold waters range in temperature from 0 to 3°C (32 to 37.4°F) with extremely high pressure. The photo above captures the first human expedition to the deep sea.
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18. The longest mountain range is underwater.
Above water, the longest mountain range is the Andes of South America, spanning 8,900 km. The mid-oceanic ridge, displayed in red in the picture above, easily tops this length, reaching nearly 65,000 km!
Learn More: NOAA Ocean Exploration
19. There are over 10,000 volcanoes located in the Pacific Ocean.
Perhaps the Pacific Ocean isn’t as “peaceful” as Ferdinand Magellan once imagined. This ocean contains well over 10,000 volcanoes, which is many more than has been reported on land.
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20. The Pacific Ocean contains the “Ring of Fire”.
The Pacific Ocean is home to the Pacific Ring of Fire – a fiery region brimming with volcanic and earthquake activity. There are reportedly over 450 volcanoes in this ring that account for 75% of the world’s volcanic emissions and eruptions.
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21. Ocean water is salty.
Do you know the magical white grains that make your french fries taste so much better? That’s sodium chloride and there’s a lot of it in ocean water, unlike the water found in freshwater lakes.
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22. The Dead Sea is almost nine times as salty as the ocean.
You won’t find any fish swimming in the Dead Sea because it is so salty that barely any life can survive in it. Yet tourists love floating in this body of water, located between Israel and Jordan.
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23. The ocean absorbs one-third of the carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
Ocean acidification increases with the absorption of carbon dioxide, which can be harmful to marine life, particularly animals with shells and coral.
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24. The ocean is home to the world’s largest animal!
What amazing animal could measure more than double the size of a school bus? A blue whale of course! Interestingly, the females of the species are larger than the males, growing up to a whopping 110 feet.
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25. Sperm whales sleep upright in the ocean.
Another awesome inhabitant of the big blue ocean is the sperm whale. These large animals nap in a vertical position which can make for an interesting sight. They nap like this in bouts of only 10-15 minutes.
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26. Coral reefs are the “rainforests of the sea”.
Coral reefs are formed over millions of years in the shallow waters of tropical climates. Formed from the skeletons of dead marine life, they are home to almost a quarter of all ocean species!
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27. Coral reefs help to purify ocean water.
These beautiful ecosystems help to keep the ocean water clean by feeding on dirt and pollutants, which is why you’ll find them living in pristine waters.
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28. The Great Barrier Reef covers an area of 350,000 square kilometers.
The Great Barrier Reef is roughly the same size as Germany. This is the world’s largest coral reef and it is inhabited by an abundance of amazing creatures. You can find this beautiful ecosystem in the Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Australia.
Learn More: Britannica
29. The Great Pacific Garbage Patch is an accumulation of harmful plastics.
Did you know that there is a litter pile in the Pacific Ocean called the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, bigger than the size of South Africa? All of this accumulated plastic can have harmful effects on the plants and animals of the ecosystem.
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30. Numerous ships and planes have mysteriously disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle.
While some say the Bermuda Triangle is only a legend, there have been several cases where ships and planes have mysteriously vanished from the area. Another strange fact is that compasses are reported to malfunction in the region, creating chaos for sailors.
Learn More: Easy Geography For Kids
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