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5 Oceans

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In our Ocean Facts for Kids you will learn about the oceans of the world. Did you know that the o ceans cover over 71% of the Earth's surface?

Today is World Oceans Day! Let us learn more about the fascinating oceans which are the most important source of life for all of us.

The World Oceans

There are five oceans covering the surface of our globe:

Read here fun and important facts about our oceans everybody should know.

Pacific Ocean

The Pacific Ocean is the biggest ocean of the world and covers more than 30% of the Earth's surface.

The name 'Pacific' come from the Latin word ' pacificus' which means peaceful. Thus, Pacific Ocean means 'peaceful ocean'. However, the Pacific is not really calm and peaceful. The 'ring of fire' is located in the Pacific Ocean. There is a string of volcanoes in the Pacific basin which are still active and therefore many of the world's major earthquakes and volcanic eruptions happen in this region.

The lowest known point on earth is called Challenger Deep. It is located in the Pacific Ocean near Guam in the Philippine Sea at the end of the Mariana Trench. The depth recorded is 10,920 metres or 35,827 feet.

The largest coral reef in the world is located off the Australian coast and is called the Great Barrier Reef.

The coral reefs only grown in tropic waters, but due to climate change over 50% of the world's reefs have been lost in the last 30 years. Read more about Australia here.

More interesting Facts about the Pacific Ocean for Kids here.

Atlantic Ocean Facts for Kids

The Atlantic is the second biggest ocean in the world and is between the continents of America and Europe and Africa.

The Atlantic Ocean is about half the size of the Pacific Ocean and covers roughly 20% of the Earth's surface. However it is growing in size as it is spreading along the Mid-Atlantic Coasts.

Sharks, such as this Thresher Shark swimming in the gulf stream, are found in the waters of the Atlantic.
More interesting Facts about the Atlantic Ocean for Kids here.

Did you know that the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is the longest mountain range on Earth? It spreads from Iceland to Antarctica beneath the Atlantic.

Indian Ocean Facts for Kids

The Indian Ocean is located between Africa and Austral-Asia.

The waters of the Indian Ocean provides the largest breeding grounds of the world for humpback whales.

Also found in the Indian ocean, a fish which was thought to be extinct was discovered there. The Coelacanth is found in the warm waters off the Comoro islands between Mozambique and Madagascar.

The Northern Indian Ocean also is the most important transport route for oil as it connects the oil-rich countries of the Middle East Each with Asia. Every day tankers are carrying a cargo of 17 million barrels of crude oil from the Persian Gulf on its waters.

More interesting Facts about the Indian Ocean for Kids here.

Southern Ocean

The Southern Ocean is located around the South Pole across the Antarctic circle in the Southern Hemisphere off Antarctica.
Read more our top ten Southern Ocean facts here
The Southern Ocean is the home of Emperor Penguins and Wandering Albatrosses.

Arctic Ocean

The Arctic Ocean is located around the North Pole across the Arctic circle.

There are many polar bears living on the Arctic ice.

A jellyfish with the funny name 'Lion's Mane Jellyfish' can also be found in the Arctic Ocean's waters. It grows up to 2.4m or 8 feet across and lives on plankton and fishes.
Read more about the Arctic Ocean here.
Did you know that the Arctic Ocean's ice covers are shrinking by 8% every ten years?

Many Arctic ground features are named after early Arctic explorers, like Nansen Basin or Mendeleyev Ridge.

Ocean Quiz for Kids

Scroll down and tick the correct answers to our ten questions to see if you can master our ocean quiz for kids. Enjoy!

Popular Pages

World Oceans Resources

Image Credits on Ocean Facts for Kids: Tanya Puntti, Beth Swanson, Tory Kallman, Christopher Wood and mgsiv, shafiq (infographic) all at shutterstock.com, as well as other shutterstock and sxc photos and own images Return from Ocean Facts for Kids to Kids World Travel Guide Homepage
This page " Ocean Facts for Kids" was first published on 11 June 2011. Last update 8 June 2021.

National Ocean Service - Ocean Today. "Marine Life" Last accessed 8 June 2021

National Ocean Service - Ocean Today. "Ocean Facts." Last accessed 8 June 2021

Australian Government. "Resources." Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority. Last accessed 8 June 2021

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2015. Exploring the Reef: Year 3 Australian science curriculum focus, GBRMPA, Townsville.

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Ocean Facts for Kids | Atlantic Ocean | Pacific Ocean | Indian Ocean

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In our Ocean Facts for Kids you will learn about the oceans of the world. Did you know that the o ceans cover over 71% of the Earth's surface? Today is World Oceans Day! Let us learn more about the fascinating oceans which are the most important source of life for all of us.

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Ocean Themed Kids Activities

To kick off our Ocean Themed Week, we've got a great round up for you! Printables, activities, games and more!

Activities

DIY Jellyfish in a Bottle from Bhoomplay's Blog

Ocean in a Bottle from Happy Hooligans

Mason Jar Aquarium from Hello, Wonderful

Celery Stamp Rainbow Fish from Crafty Morning

Ocean Play Dough from The Imagination Tree

Soapy Sea Foam Sensory Play from Two Daloo

Printables

Ocean Activity Book from Itsy Bitsy Fun

Ocean Animal Fact Sheets from 3 Boys and a Dog

Sea Animals Memory Game from Learn Create Love

Under the Sea Bingo from Artsy Fartsy Mama

Ocean Animal Mazes from Kids Activities Blog
16 Ocean and Sea Books Fish Bowl Spinner DIY Seashell Boats Sea Sounds Bingo Banana Dolphins SeaWorld Ticket Giveaway

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Ocean Themed Kids Activities To kick off our Ocean Themed Week, we've got a great round up for you! Printables, activities, games and more!

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Listen to me...

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If Sharks Disappeared - Kids Books Read Aloud

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Find out how sharks help keep marine ecosystems healthy in this episode of "What Sam Sees.

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Video

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The OCEAN Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta

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The OCEAN Alphabet Book by Jerry Pallotta

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Listen to me...

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Save the Ocean by Bethany Stahl | Children's Animated Audiobook | A Story About Recycling

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Have you ever wondered what happens to some people's garbage?  Read more to find out.

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A sea turtle swims through the water and spots a white blob floating near the surface. "Yum!" it thinks. "A jellyfish!" Chasing after its dinner, the turtle swallows the item. But the floating blob isn't a jelly-it's a plastic bag that could make the sea turtle sick.

This sea creature isn't alone: Over 700 species of marine animals have been reported to have eaten or been entangled in plastic. Scientists think that the amount of plastic in the ocean might triple by 2050-and that would mean seriously bad news for the ocean and the creatures that live there. But by understanding the issue and taking action, you can help stop that from happening.

What's the problem with plastic?

First, let's get real: Not all plastic is bad. Bike helmets, car airbags, and many medical supplies made with plastic save lives. Plastic water bottles can bring clean drinking water to people who don't have it, and plastic straws can help people with disabilities drink.

The problem is that most of us use and then toss way more plastic than we need: things like grocery bags, drink bottles, straws, food wrappers, and plastic packaging around toys. This kind of plastic that's used only once before being thrown away is called single-use plastic, and it makes up more than 40 percent of all plastic trash.

Where does the plastic go?

That's a lot of trash. Scientists think that 8.8 million tons of plastic winds up in the ocean every year-that's as if you stacked up five plastic grocery bags full of trash on top of each other on every foot of coastline in the world.

How does it get into the sea? Plastic left on the ground as litter often blows into creeks and rivers, eventually ending up in the ocean. And because plastic trash is different from other types of waste-it doesn't decompose back into nature like an apple core or a piece of paper-it stays in the ocean forever. That means discarded fishing nets and six-pack rings can entangle animals; harmful straws and grocery bags can be mistaken as food.

What can we do about it?

You can do so much to help keep Earth clean! You can look at how much single-use plastic your family uses by filling out a plastic journal for a week-then talking about what you can do to use less. Need ideas? Check out these quick tips to reduce your plastic waste. By working together, our choices can help save animals-and the ocean they live in.

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Long, white tusks break the surface of the icy Arctic water. It's not a waterlogged herd of unicorns-it's a pod of narwhals! This species of whale is best known for its tusk-a long, spiraled tooth that usually only the males develop. (Females occasionally do.)

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Test your knowledge about sharks.

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Video

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Oceans of the World for Kids | Classroom Video

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California sea lions live on the western coast of North America from the Baja California peninsula in Mexico to British Columbia. These semi-aquatic mammals feed on fish, squid, and shellfish. They are generally found in open water, where they prefer to fish, but are sometimes found in rivers near t…

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Check out this game!

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Help clean up the park! Your job is to sort the stuff people throw away and put it in the proper bin. Is it recycling, compost, or trash? Get facts about climate change and tips on how you can help save the earth.

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Help clean up the park! Your job is to sort the stuff people throw away and put it in the proper bin. Is it recycling, compost, or trash? Get facts about climate change and tips on how you can help save the earth.

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These turtles are found nesting along the coastline of more than 80 countries, with the largest nesting populations found in Costa Rica and Australia.

Green sea turtles spend most of their lives underwater, where they can rest for up to five hours at a time before coming up for air. When active, they typically alternate between being underwater for a few minutes and coming up to the surface to breathe air for a few seconds. Green sea turtles are also known to sunbathe on land.

Unlike most other sea turtles, adult green sea turtles eat a primarily plant-based diet consisting of seaweed and sea grass. Scientists believe these green foods give the sea turtle's fat its green color. The shell of the green sea turtle is usually shades of a brown or olive color.

Similar to other sea turtles, green sea turtles migrate long distances between their feeding grounds and their nesting sites, with recorded distances longer than 1,615 miles (2,600 kilometers). They have strong paddlelike flippers that help propel them through the water.

Female green sea turtles leave the water in order to lay eggs on the beach and will choose the same nesting spot as where they were born. A female will dig out a nest with her flippers and lay a clutch of about 115 eggs. Then she'll cover the eggs with sand and return to the sea. After about two months, the babies will use a special "egg tooth" to break their shells and hatch from their eggs.

The first few years of a green sea turtle's life are spent floating at sea, where they feed on plankton. As they grow older, the turtles move to shallow waters along the coast, such as bays and lagoons, where they find sea grass to eat.

Adult green sea turtles face many threats, primarily from humans, including injuries from boat propellers, being caught in fishing nets, pollution, and poaching. Newly hatched sea turtles are also at risk of being hunted by animals such as birds, crabs, and raccoons as they move from their nests out to the sea.

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Green sea turtles are the world's largest species of hard-shelled sea turtle. While most individuals weigh about 300 to 400 pounds (136 to 181 kilograms), some can be as heavy as 440 pounds (204 kilograms). These turtles are found nesting along the coastline of more than 80 countries, with the largest nesting populations found in Costa Rica and Australia.