How Deep Is the Ocean?

🕐 3 min 28 sec 👦 Ages 4–5 🌍 English
Join Owlo and Koko as they explore the ocean's depths! Kids will learn about ocean depth and marine life in a fun way.
Understand ocean depth compared to pools Learn about marine life in the ocean Encourage curiosity and questioning
📖 Story Script
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, look at what I made! This is a drawing of the ocean.
                
                    Owlo:
                    What a beautiful drawing, Koko! I can see the blue waves and a little boat.
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes, and here are the little fish swimming. But Owlo, how deep is the ocean really?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is a very clever question, Koko. The ocean is very, very deep.
                
                    Koko:
                    Is it deeper than our swimming pool at school?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Oh yes, much deeper! Our school pool is maybe two meters deep. The ocean can be thousands of meters deep.
                
                    Koko:
                    Thousands of meters? Wow! I cannot even imagine that.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Come, let's go to the school aquarium. I can show you better there.
                
                    Koko:
                    Okay, we are here! I can see the little fish swimming.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Very good. Look, this aquarium is maybe half a meter tall. Can you see to the bottom?
                
                    Koko:
                    Yes, I can see the little stones and plants on the bottom.
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly. But in the ocean you often cannot see to the bottom. It is so deep that it becomes completely dark.
                
                    Koko:
                    It becomes dark down there? Why does that happen?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Because the sunlight cannot reach all the way to the bottom. The water is too deep.
                
                    Koko:
                    Oh! So the little fish down there have no light?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Some parts of the ocean are indeed very dark. But there are special animals living there who can live in the dark.
                
                    Koko:
                    What kind of special animals live down there?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Like squid and special fish that make their own light. That is called bioluminescence.
                
                    Koko:
                    Bio-lumi-what? That is a very difficult word!
                
                    Owlo:
                    That's right, it is a long word. It means that some animals can glow in the dark, just like little stars.
                
                    Koko:
                    That sounds magical! But how deep is the very deepest point?
                
                    Owlo:
                    The very deepest point is almost eleven kilometers deep. That is as tall as ten school buildings stacked together.
                
                    Koko:
                    Ten schools stacked on top of each other? That is gigantic!
                
                    Owlo:
                    Yes, and not all parts are that deep. Some places are shallow, where you can still swim.
                
                    Koko:
                    Just like our beach where we were last summer?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Exactly! There you could still stand on the bottom. But further out to sea it gets deeper and deeper.
                
                    Koko:
                    Can people go all the way to the bottom of the ocean?
                
                    Owlo:
                    That is very difficult. People use special submarines with very thick walls. These protect them from the pressure of all that water.
                
                    Koko:
                    Pressure? What exactly is that supposed to mean?
                
                    Owlo:
                    When you are deep underwater, all the water from above pushes down on you. That feels very heavy.
                
                    Koko:
                    Oh, like when my big brother jumps on my back?
                
                    Owlo:
                    Ha ha, a little bit like that, yes! But then much, much heavier. So we need special equipment.
                
                    Koko:
                    Owlo, what have I learned today? Can I summarize it?
                
                    Koko:
                    The ocean is very, very deep! Much deeper than our swimming pool. Some parts are as deep as ten schools stacked together.
                
                    Koko:
                    And all the way at the bottom it is dark, but special animals live there who can glow.
                
                    Koko:
                    People can only go to the bottom with special submarines, because the water pushes down so heavily.
                
                    Koko:
                    Next time I want to learn more about those glowing fish!
                
                    Owlo:
                    What a wonderful summary, Koko! And that is a great idea for our next conversation.