When you look at the ocean, it seems like the most peaceful place on earth.
But actually, it is filled with beautiful (And sometimes, dangerous) creatures living inside that we can not see.
The ocean is mysterious, terrifying, humbling, and mesmerizing at the same time.
Its magnificence has inspired countless novels, films and songs, all in constant awe of its power and beauty.
We have gathered some images of all those tiny, as well as giant creatures, living under the sea.
Did you know there are 409,543 named species in the deep ocean?
Now you can get to know them better, thanks to this computer scientist, Neal Agarwal, who was inspire by the marine life and has developed a fun website that allows users to scroll down to discover the different animals and plant life that live at varying depths of the ocean.
As you move towards the bottom of the ocean floor, the website provides interesting facts and figures about marine life.
For example: close to the ocean surface, at around 30 meters deep (98 feet), familiar fish such as the Atlantic salmon and the striped bass are seen, alongside the polar bear, who is known to dive to similar depths in order to hunt for food. Scrolling deeper reveals the killer whale at around 100 meters deep (328 feet), and the green sea turtle at around 170 meters (557 feet).
Turtles are amazing animals. They can be traced back to the time of dinosaurs, they usually live around 70 years (tortoises reach around 150 or more years), and they're super cute. Sadly, as human development reaches the quietest of beaches, some turtle hatchlings are having trouble finding the ocean because of the confusing lights. But it's not all bad news! As well as being the problem (sorry turtles), we can also be the solution. Keep on reading to learn how you can help your little flippered friends live to be wise old creatures.
When wildlife biologist Lizzie Daly went diving off of Falmouth, England, she didn't except to come across such an enchanting and slightly terrifying sight -- a humongous jellyfish!
"What were once monsters to be feared are now curious and magnificent creatures that delight. We like to feel that science and exploration has brought about this change." - NOAA Research
This is the very first time a giant squid has been captured on footage in US Waters. Edie Widder, one of the leaders of the research team was funded by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told the Washington Post it was "one of the more amazing days at sea I've ever had."
The camera that captured the amazing footage is called Medusa, it employs a red lights invisible to most creatures at deep-sea depths, and was used to lure the animals with its attached "e-jelly" display, which mimics the bioluminescence of a deep-sea jelly fish.
Upon reviewing the Medusa's footage, the team wrote in their mission log, "People quickly gathered around. We knew immediately that it was a squid. It was also big, but because it was coming straight at the camera, it was impossible to tell exactly how big."
The scientists identified it to be a juvenile giant squid, about 10 to 12 feet long.
Read the full story at Ocean Explorer
