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Our oceans are filled with extraordinary stories that only a few people may know about.
What you’ve already known may be different from a scientific viewpoint.
In this blog, join me to explore and discover five mind-blowing facts about oceans.
5 Mind-Blowing Facts About Oceans
1. The world’s longest mountain range is under the ocean.
What do people usually think?
People think that the world’s longest mountain range is found on land.
When mountain ranges are mentioned, we usually imagine the famous Himalayas, which are the most prominent and visible, especially to hikers and climbers.
You won’t believe this, but the longest mountain is in the depths of the ocean.
Here is the astonishing reality:
According to the World Atlas, the Mid-Ocean Ridge is the world’s longest mountain range. This mountain has a total length of 65,000 km, with 90 percent of its system lying beneath the ocean.
This massive underwater system was formed through the movement of tectonic plates, where seafloor spreading created a continuous chain of ridges far longer than any range found on land.
2. We can detect Earth’s tectonic plates moving.
What do people usually think?
Many of us think that the rumbling sound we hear during an earthquake is caused by friction from tectonic plates.
We imagine the plates grinding against one another loudly beneath the Earth’s surface.
It’s hard to believe, but the sound we hear is not coming from tectonic plates.
Here is the astonishing reality:
Tectonic plates move only a few centimeters per year, which is far too slow to be heard by humans.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), what people often think is the sound of plates moving is the seismic waves causing the shaking and rumbling during earthquakes.
Indeed, this slow drift is responsible for shaping continents, creating mountain ranges, and opening new ocean basins over millions of years.
3. The ocean is the world’s largest museum.
What do people usually think?
Some of us take this expression literally and imagine the ocean as an organized museum filled with displays and artifacts.
Others may not realize it is a figure of speech and assume it only refers to shipwrecks hidden underwater!
What if I told you it is not only the shipwrecks that make the oceans the world’s largest museum?
Here is the astonishing reality:
This is a famous line from Salomon Reinach in 1928, where he implied that under all these forms of water, there have been countless and undiscovered cultural treasures that must be protected.
Archaeologists estimate there are more than 15,000 archaeological sites off the Atlantic coast alone, including ancient shipwrecks and sunken cities.
Beyond these, the ocean also contains natural “collections” and unique ecosystems like a true museum.
It preserves both human heritage and natural history, which constantly reminds us of the importance of conservation.
4. Most deep-sea animals make their own light.
What do people usually think?
Contrary to what we usually see in mainstream media, the majority of ocean life cannot produce its own light.
Like pictures of glowing fish and jellyfish, it is easy to assume that this is common to all ocean animals.
It’s not what you think because most ocean life makes its own light.
Here is the astonishing reality:
According to the Smithsonian Ocean, only about 76% of deep-sea animals are capable of bioluminescence—living organisms using chemical reactions in their bodies to create light.
This ability is mostly found in fish, squid, and some jellyfish.
According to Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, 97–99% of jellyfish and siphonophores are bioluminescent, while only about half of squids and fish glow.
Although glowing creatures are fascinating, they represent only a portion of the ocean’s biodiversity, not the majority.
5. The ocean floor has hydrothermal vents
What do people usually think?
Many of us would think that the deep ocean floor is just empty, dark, and lifeless.
Or others would say that every hydrothermal vent means there’s an active volcano directly under it.
But it turns out the ocean floor contains hydrothermal vents.
Here is the astonishing reality:
According to the National History Museum, the ocean floor contains hydrothermal vents, which are like underwater hot springs.
These vents form when seawater enters cracks in the seafloor, gets heated by hot rocks or magma deep below, and then shoots back out carrying minerals.
While vents are connected to volcanic heat, they don’t always mean there’s an active volcano right under them.
What’s more incredible is that these vents support unique ecosystems with creatures that can survive without sunlight by using chemicals from the vents instead.
Mind-Blowing Facts About Oceans Wrap-Up
Even if 85% of the ocean remains undiscovered, these fascinating stories remind us that there is still so much more to unravel beneath the seas.
