Oceans

There’s a reason why Earth is called “The Blue Planet”- it’s because our world is covered in water, most of which is the vast, interconnected expanse of the ocean. The most biodiverse habitat on Earth, it’s the spot where all life originated, and it’s easy to see from the spectacular creatures that inhabit it today. Here are some of the coolest ones:

Sharks

Sharks are found in tropical areas such as Hawaii or Florida, and they are some of the most misunderstood creatures of the sea. Known for attacking humans and having a thirst for blood, the movie JAWS gives these fish a bad rap. In reality, sharks are fascinating, and most aren’t scary at all. Their entire bodies are made of cartilage, the same material that makes up our ears. This allows their bodies to be flexible. In 2023, there were a total of 69 shark attacks, with 10 fatalities. Compared to cows, which kill around 22 people each year, sharks usually don’t need to be feared.

Turtles

Turtles are beloved by many around the world. With their slow, peaceful movements and their diet of sea sponges, kelp, and other small marine creatures sea turtles are one of the sweetest-tempered animals in the vast ocean. They can often be seen hanging out with fish in tropical reefs or gulping up jellyfish. Despite the slow way that they usually swim, turtles can reach speeds of up to 22mph when threatened. Now that’s fast!

Starfish

Starfish don’t look like much, but they possess some amazing abilities. Starfish can flip their stomachs inside out to swallow prey and grow back missing limbs. They range in colors from deep red (pictured above) to pretty pink. Starfish are found everywhere from the frozen seafloor of the arctic to tropical reefs in the south. These little stars are quite tough!

Whales

Whales are the gentle giants of the deep blue sea, and they are quite fascinating. Despite spending their entire lives in the water, whales are mammals just like us, and they only breathe air! This means that they have to come up to the surface many times a day to inhale through their blowholes, the nose-shaped holes on the top of their heads. Even though whales are the biggest creatures on earth, most (with the exception of toothed whales) feed on small fish or even plankton.

A feature creature, the octopus, inhabits the ocean as well. Birds, another feature creature, can live on and around the ocean but not in it.