Ocean Facts for Kids

Interesting Facts for Kids

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

Click to view a short video about World Ocean Day.

8 June is World Oceans Day! Our world's oceans are important for oxygen, food and medicine and the ocean is also part of our culture and identity.

Let us learn more about the fascinating oceans on our planet!

The World Oceans

There are five oceans covering the surface of our globe: 

The five world oceans are the Pacific Ocean, the Atlantic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Southern Ocean and the Arctic Ocean.

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

Pacific Ocean

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 only 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.

Coral Fish

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.

Thresher Shark

Sharks, such as this Thresher Shark swimming in the gulf stream, are found in the waters of the Atlantic. And the Atlantic Ocean is brimming with marine life. Dolphins, sea lions, sting rays and killer whales live here.

The Atlantic Ocean is the saltiest and youngest ocean on our planet.

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

More interesting Facts about the Atlantic Ocean for Kids here.

Extension: Lern more about the marginal seas or inland seas of the Atlantic Oceans: Black Sea (connected via the Mediterranean Sea) and Baltic Sea (connected via the North Sea).

Black Sea

Baltic Sea

Indian Ocean Facts for Kids

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

Humpback Whale breaching

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

Emperor Penguins

The Southern Ocean is the home of emperor penguins and wandering albatrosses and fur seals. Some seal species hunt underwater and breed on land or on ice.

Read more our top ten Southern Ocean facts here

Arctic Ocean

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

Polar bear with cub

Many polar bears live on the Arctic ice sheets of this ocean.

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.

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.

Read more about the Arctic Ocean here.

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

This page "Ocean Facts for Kids" was first published on 11 June 2011. Last update 30 August 2024.

• National Ocean Service - Ocean Today. "Marine Life" NOAA.gov. Last accessed 30 August 2024.
• National Ocean Service - Ocean Today. "Ocean Facts." NOAA.gov. Last accessed 30 August 2024.
• Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority 2015. Exploring the Reef: Year 3 Australian science curriculum focus, GBRMPA, Townsville.

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

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More about the World's Oceans

20 Fascinating Facts about the Oceans

Atlantic Ocean

Indian Ocean

Arctic Ocean

Southern Ocean

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