Off California's windswept Pacific coastline, a sleek brown otter floats on its back, casually smashing shellfish between paws resting on its softly furred belly. This marine mammal appears blissfully unbothered by the frigid ocean it calls home.
Deep in the world's oceans thrives a photosynthetic powerhouse you can't even see. The tiny microbe Prochlorococcus measures just 0.6 micrometers wide—half the size of the thinnest human hair. Yet this unassuming organism pulls off an astounding chemical feat: producing up to 80% of the oxygen in Earth's atmosphere.
Deep in the pitch-black abyss of the ocean, a light flickers in the darkness. It's an anglerfish, glowing to lure in unsuspecting prey. With its huge head, sharp teeth, and illuminated fishing rod protruding from its head, the anglerfish looks like something out of a sci-fi movie.
Did you know that the Pacific Ocean is not only the largest and deepest of Earth's oceans, but also has more artifacts than all the world's museums combined? And that's not all; it's even wider than the moon! Let's dive into the amazing world of the Pacific Ocean and explore its mind-boggling size, depth, and some of the cool things that make it an incredible part of our planet.
Concealed in the stormy North Atlantic lies Earth’s greatest waterfall, an underwater giant hidden from view in the darkness between Iceland and Greenland. Here, where warm subtropical waters collide with a frigid Arctic cataract, the largest waterfall on the planet plunges silently into the abyss.