The Earth’s oceans are a world of mystery, magic and beauty. It’s the mystery part more than anything else that lures divers into their depths. There is a seemingly endless array of fascinating facts about our oceans. Many of these facts are incredibly interesting, but some will defy your imagination. The following little-known facts about the ocean are sure to blow you out of the water.
1. Thanks to the ocean, most of our planet is dark.
Oceans have an average depth of 12,100 feet, and because light waves can only penetrate 330 feet of water, everything below that point is dark. Seeing as water makes up most of the planet, this means that most of Earth exists in absolute darkness all the time.
2. The loudest ocean sound came from an icequake.
In 1997, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) captured one of the loudest sounds ever recorded, which they named "The Bloop." The sound was loud enough to be picked up by sensors over 3,000 miles away. Originally, researches noted that the nature of the sound made it seem like it came from an animal, although no known animal exists that is large enough to make that sound. After 15 years, the NOAA concluded that the noise came from an icequake, which is when seismic activities cause a break in frozen ground. However, many people still question this conclusion, and The Bloop is the source of many conspiracy theories to this day.
3. Only 5% of the ocean is explored
Despite all of the amazing facts we know about our oceans, there is still so much that is currently a mystery. The National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) estimates that more than 80 percent of the ocean has never been mapped, observed or explored in any way. They state that only 5 percent of the ocean has actually been explored and charted. Even the most extensive chain of maintains on earth, the mid-ocean ridge, is found lying in the deep ocean. Some say that this mountain range is less explored than both Mars and Venus.
4. Majority of life on earth is aquatic
The ocean is filled with creatures of wonder. This includes single-celled organisms, to the largest animals on the planet such as whales, sharks and squids. Some of the deepest parts of the ocean contain life that looks as if it really does belong on another planet. Since so much of the ocean has not been explored, it makes me curious of what else lurks deep within the water. On average, 2,000 marine species are discovered each year. Yet, researchers estimate that 91 percent of species in the ocean have still been unidentified.
5. The ocean's canyons make the Grand Canyon seem small.
Not to take anything away from the gorgeous Grand Canyon on Earth, but the Zhemchug Canyon, located in the Bering Sea, has a vertical relief of 8,520 feet—almost 2,500 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon.
6. The biggest ocean waves are beneath its surface.
The biggest ocean waves are not the ones that you can see from the shoreline. As physical oceanographer Kim Martini told Deep Sea News, the largest waves that occur in the ocean are called internal waves, which take place between two fluids with two different densities. As these internal waves travel—for thousands of miles, no less—they can grow to be 650 feet tall.
