Picture this: pods of bottlenose dolphins gliding across the open waters of the southern Indian Ocean to catch a meal. In some other corner of the ocean a whale rises through the surface of the water and splashes down on its back and a shoal of startling green, blue, yellow and orange reef-dwellers perform a dance undersea....
All these fascinating creatures are a part of the same world - one that is full of water, life and adventure!
Beneath rolling waves, choppy waters and icebergs, the ocean hides a surprising world that is home to many amazing creatures. One such example is the Pufferfish which when frightened, puffs up to a large ball several times its normal size! A brightly coloured marine fish, the Parrotfish can change its gender, shape and even colour during its life! The mimic octopus, aptly named for its astonishing ability imitate other creatures, is capable of changing the colour shape and texture of its skin less than a second!
If you think that only birds can fly and animals can walk, the ocean world has a plenty of surprises in store! The Red-Lipped Batfish can walk on the ocean floor! Another interesting ocean-dweller is the flying fish. This fish leaps out of the warm tropical waters of the ocean and uses its winglike fins to glide in the air and keep itself airborne for a little while!
Below 3300 feet, in the sunless depths of the ocean, the world is dark. Consequently, some creative creatures living here produce their own light! For example, some anglerfish have living "lanterns" which grow from their foreheads! Another creature called the flashlight fish has cheeks that glow.
Containing 97% of all the water on earth and 95% of the planet's habitable space, the ocean is home to the majority of Earth's animals, from the Blue Whale, the largest animal on the planet to the tiniest bacteria. Here, as many as 100 million species including lobsters, jellyfish, oysters, whales, sharks, turtles, sea lions and plenty of eye-catching fish swim, dart, hunt, fight play, give birth and continue living together.
From the frigid waters of the polar areas to the warm waters of the tropics and everywhere in between, our oceans pulsate with life. Not surprisingly, it was here indeed that life on Earth began.
