How Deep Is the Ocean?
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the ocean's depths! Kids will learn about ocean depth and marine life in a fun way.
About this story
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the ocean's depths! Kids will learn about ocean depth and marine life in a fun way.
What you'll learn
- Understand ocean depth compared to pools
- Learn about marine life in the ocean
- Encourage curiosity and questioning
Owlo, look at what I made! This is a drawing of the ocean.
What a beautiful drawing, Koko! I can see the blue waves and a little boat.
Yes, and here are the little fish swimming. But Owlo, how deep is the ocean really?
That is a very clever question, Koko. The ocean is very, very deep.
Is it deeper than our swimming pool at school?
Oh yes, much deeper! Our school pool is maybe two meters deep. The ocean can be thousands of meters deep.
Thousands of meters? Wow! I cannot even imagine that.
Come, let's go to the school aquarium. I can show you better there.
Okay, we are here! I can see the little fish swimming.
Very good. Look, this aquarium is maybe half a meter tall. Can you see to the bottom?
Yes, I can see the little stones and plants on the bottom.
Exactly. But in the ocean you often cannot see to the bottom. It is so deep that it becomes completely dark.
It becomes dark down there? Why does that happen?
Because the sunlight cannot reach all the way to the bottom. The water is too deep.
Oh! So the little fish down there have no light?
Some parts of the ocean are indeed very dark. But there are special animals living there who can live in the dark.
What kind of special animals live down there?
Like squid and special fish that make their own light. That is called bioluminescence.
Bio-lumi-what? That is a very difficult word!
That's right, it is a long word. It means that some animals can glow in the dark, just like little stars.
That sounds magical! But how deep is the very deepest point?
The very deepest point is almost eleven kilometers deep. That is as tall as ten school buildings stacked together.
Ten schools stacked on top of each other? That is gigantic!
Yes, and not all parts are that deep. Some places are shallow, where you can still swim.
Just like our beach where we were last summer?
Exactly! There you could still stand on the bottom. But further out to sea it gets deeper and deeper.
Can people go all the way to the bottom of the ocean?
That is very difficult. People use special submarines with very thick walls. These protect them from the pressure of all that water.
Pressure? What exactly is that supposed to mean?
When you are deep underwater, all the water from above pushes down on you. That feels very heavy.
Oh, like when my big brother jumps on my back?
Ha ha, a little bit like that, yes! But then much, much heavier. So we need special equipment.
Owlo, what have I learned today? Can I summarize it?
The ocean is very, very deep! Much deeper than our swimming pool. Some parts are as deep as ten schools stacked together.
And all the way at the bottom it is dark, but special animals live there who can glow.
People can only go to the bottom with special submarines, because the water pushes down so heavily.
Next time I want to learn more about those glowing fish!
What a wonderful summary, Koko! And that is a great idea for our next conversation.
