The deepest ocean The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on earth.

Almost 95% of all water on Earth is salty and unusable. It consists of seas, oceans and salt lakes. Collectively, all this is called the World Ocean. Its area is three-quarters of the entire area of ​​the planet.

The oceans - what is it?

Sand in the ocean. Photo by Oleg Patrin.

The names of the oceans have been familiar to us since elementary school. This is the Pacific, otherwise called the Great, Atlantic, Indian and Arctic. All of them together are called the World Ocean. Its area is more than 350 million km2. This is the largest area even on a planetary scale. The continents divide the World Ocean into four oceans known to us. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own unique underwater world, which changes depending on the climatic zone, the temperature of the currents and the bottom topography. The map of the oceans shows that they are all interconnected. None of them is surrounded by land on all sides.

The science that studies the oceans is oceanology

In Britannica Escola. Cousteau Society-The Image Bank/Getty Images

The continents divide the World Ocean into four oceans known to us. Each of them has its own characteristics, its own unique underwater world, which changes depending on the climatic zone, the temperature of the currents and the bottom topography. The map of the oceans shows that they are all interconnected. None of them is surrounded by land on all sides. The science that studies the oceans is oceanology How do we know that seas and oceans exist? Geography is a school subject that introduces us to these concepts for the first time. But a special science, oceanology, is engaged in a deeper study of the oceans. It considers water expanses as an integral natural object, studies the biological processes occurring inside it, and its relationship with other constituent elements of the biosphere. This science studies the ocean depths in order to achieve the following goals: increasing the efficiency and ensuring the safety of underwater and surface navigation; optimization of the use of minerals from the ocean floor; maintaining the biological balance of the oceanic environment; improvement of meteorological forecasts.

How did the modern names of the oceans come about?

The name of each geographical object is given for a reason. Any name has certain historical background or is associated with the characteristic features of a particular territory. Let's find out when and how the names of the oceans originated and who came up with them.

coast of the atlantic ocean

Atlantic Ocean. The works of the ancient Greek historian and geographer Strabo described this ocean, calling it Western. Later, some scientists called it the Hesperid Sea. This is confirmed by a document dated 90 BC. Already in the ninth century AD, Arab geographers voiced the name "Sea of ​​Darkness", or "Sea of ​​Darkness". The Atlantic Ocean received such a strange name because of the clouds of sand and dust that the winds constantly blowing from the African continent raised above it. For the first time, the modern name sounded in 1507, after Columbus reached the shores of America. Officially, such a name was fixed in geography in 1650 in the scientific works of Bernhard Waren.

Pacific Ocean. community islands.

Pacific Ocean. was named so by the Spanish navigator Ferdinand Magellan. Despite the fact that it is quite stormy and there are often storms and tornadoes, during the expedition of Magellan, which lasted a year, there was always good weather, calm was observed, and this was a reason to think that the ocean was really quiet and calm. When the truth was revealed, no one began to rename the Pacific Ocean. In 1756, the famous traveler and explorer Bayush suggested calling it the Great, as it is the largest ocean of all. To this day, both of these names are used.

"Deathfinger" (Dead Finger)
In the Arctic, there are some rather unusual icicles under water that can harm the inhabitants of the ocean. Salt from glaciers descends to the bottom in thin streams, freezing sea water around it. Further, the finger of death can continue to crawl along the bottom. In just 15 minutes, a brinicle can trap marine life that didn't swim away in time.

Reason to name Arctic Ocean became a lot of ice floes drifting in its waters, and, of course, the geographical position. His second name - Arctic - comes from the Greek word "arktikos", which means "northern".

White sand beaches of the Indian Ocean

With title indian ocean everything is extremely simple. India is one of the first countries known to the ancient world. The waters that wash its banks were named after her.

four oceans

How many oceans are on the planet? This question seems to be the simplest, but for many years it has caused discussions and disputes among oceanologists. The standard list of oceans looks like this:

1. Quiet.
2. Indian.
3. Atlantic.
4. Arctic.

The characteristics of the oceans are different depending on many factors, although it may seem that they are all the same. Let's get acquainted with each of them and find out the most important information about all of them.

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean. Map.

It is also called the Great, because it has the largest area among all. The Pacific Ocean basin occupies a little less than half the area of ​​​​all the world's water spaces and is equal to 179.7 million km². The composition includes 30 seas: Japan, Tasmanovo, Javanese, South China, Okhotsk, Philippine, New Guinea, Savu Sea, Halmahera Sea, Koro Sea, Mindanao Sea, Yellow, Visayan Sea, Aki Sea, Solomonovo, Bali Sea, Samair Sea, Coral, Banda, Sulu, Sulawesi, Fiji, Moluckoe, Komotes, Seram Sea, Flores Sea, Sibuyan Sea, East China Sea, Bering Sea, Amudesena Sea. All of them occupy 18% of the total area of ​​the Pacific Ocean. It is also the leader in terms of the number of islands. There are about 10 thousand of them. The largest islands in the Pacific Ocean are New Guinea and Kalimantan. The subsoil of the seabed contains more than a third of the world's reserves of natural gas and oil, the active production of which occurs mainly in the shelf zones of China, the United States of America and Australia. There are many transport routes across the Pacific Ocean connecting the countries of Asia with South and North America.

Atlantic Ocean

Relief map of the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

It is the second largest in the world, and this is clearly demonstrated by the map of the oceans. Its area is 93,360 thousand km2. The Atlantic Ocean basin contains 13 seas. All of them have a coastline. An interesting fact is that in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean there is the fourteenth sea - Sargasovo, called the sea without coasts. Its boundaries are ocean currents. It is considered the largest sea in the world in terms of area. Another feature of this ocean is the maximum inflow of fresh water, which is provided by the large rivers of North and South America, Africa and Europe. In terms of the number of islands, this ocean is the exact opposite of the Pacific. There are very few of them here. But on the other hand, it is in the Atlantic Ocean that the largest island on the planet - Greenland - and the most remote island - Bouvet - are located. Although sometimes Greenland is ranked among the islands of the Arctic Ocean.

Indian Ocean

Relief map of the bottom of the Indian Ocean.

Interesting facts about the third largest ocean will make us wonder even more. The Indian Ocean was the first known and explored. He is the custodian of the largest complex of coral reefs. The waters of this ocean hold the secret of a mysterious phenomenon that has not yet been properly investigated. The fact is that luminous circles of the correct form periodically appear on the surface. According to one version, this is the glow of plankton rising from the depths, but their ideal spherical shape is still a mystery. Not far from the island of Madagascar, you can observe a one-of-a-kind natural phenomenon - an underwater waterfall. Now some facts about the Indian Ocean. Its area is 79,917 thousand km2. The average depth is 3711 m. It washes 4 continents and has 7 seas. Vasco da Gama is the first explorer to swim across the Indian Ocean.

Arctic Ocean.

Map of the Arctic Ocean.

It is the smallest and coldest of all oceans. The area is 13,100 thousand km2. It is also the shallowest, the average depth of the Arctic Ocean is only 1225 m. It consists of 10 seas. By the number of islands, this ocean ranks second after the Pacific. The central part of the ocean is covered with ice. In the southern regions, floating ice floes and icebergs are observed. Sometimes you can find whole ice floating islands with a thickness of 30-35 m. It was here that the infamous Titanic crashed, colliding with one of them. Despite the harsh climate, the Arctic Ocean is a habitat for many species of animals: walruses, seals, whales, gulls, jellyfish and plankton.

depth of the oceans

We already know the names of the oceans and their features. But what is the deepest ocean? Let's look into this issue. The contour map of the oceans and the ocean floor shows that the bottom relief is as diverse as the relief of the continents. Under the thickness of the sea water, deepenings, depressions and elevations like mountains are hidden. The average depth of all four oceans taken together is 3700 m. The Pacific Ocean is considered the deepest, the average depth of which is 3980 m, followed by the Atlantic - 3600 m, followed by the Indian - 3710 m. The last in this list, as already mentioned, is the Arctic Ocean, the average depth of which is only 1225 m.

Salt is the main feature of ocean waters.

The Dead Sea is the saltiest sea in the world.

Everyone knows how the water of the seas and oceans differs from fresh river water. Now we will be interested in such a characteristic of the oceans as the amount of salt. If it seems to you that the water is equally salty everywhere, you are very much mistaken. Salt concentrations in ocean waters can vary greatly, even within a few kilometers. The average salinity of ocean waters is 35 ‰. If we consider this indicator separately for each ocean, then the Arctic Ocean is the least salty of all: 32 ‰. Pacific Ocean - 34.5 ‰. The salt content in the water is low here due to the large amount of precipitation, especially in the equatorial zone. Indian Ocean - 34.8 ‰. Atlantic - 35.4 ‰. It is important to note that bottom waters have a lower salt concentration than surface waters. The most salty seas of the World Ocean are the Red Sea (41‰), the Mediterranean Sea and the Persian Gulf (up to 39‰).

The movement of water in the ocean

Ocean Current Circulation

In the oceans, it is possible to distinguish parts that are in constant motion, they are called sea currents. In the sea, the currents are less pronounced, the largest are in the ocean. The currents are varied: they can go on the surface or at depth, they can be colder than the calm water surrounding them, or they can be warmer, they can be permanent or seasonal. There are several reasons for the appearance of currents and, depending on this current, they can be divided into groups:

1. Density. Water with different salinity has different density. Due to the difference in densities, currents are formed (from an area with a higher density to an area with a lower one).
2. Waste and compensation. Different regions of the oceans have different water levels. Waste currents are formed when water flows from areas with a high level to an area with a lower level. Compensatory currents are formed when the departed water is replaced.
3. Drift and wind - are formed under the influence of winds: drift - constantly blowing, wind - seasonal.
4. Ebb and flow. The water of the World Ocean reacts to the attraction of the moon, resulting in tidal and ebb currents that occur once a day. In that part of the globe, which is closer to the moon, there is high tide, and in the other part, low tide.

Currents influence the climate of coastal areas. So sewer currents pass by the eastern coasts of the continents, they are directed from the equator, they are warmer than the water around them, and they carry warm, humid air with them. Such currents moderate the climate of the coastal regions. Compensatory currents pass by the western coasts of the continents, they are colder than the waters surrounding them, they bring with them quite dry air. Compensatory currents are one of the reasons that deserts often appear on the western shores of the continents.

World ocean records

• The deepest place in the World Ocean is the Mariinsky Trench, its depth is 11,035 m from the surface water level.
• If we consider the depth of the seas, then the Philippine sea is considered the deepest. Its depth reaches 10,540 m.
• In second place in this indicator is the Coral Sea with a maximum depth of 9140 m.
• The largest ocean is the Pacific. Its area is larger than the area of ​​the entire earth's land.
• The most salty sea is the Red Sea. It is located in the Indian Ocean. Salt water well supports all objects that fall into it, and it takes a lot of effort to drown in this sea.
• The most mysterious place is located in the Atlantic Ocean, and its name is the Bermuda Triangle. It is associated with many legends and mysteries.
• The most poisonous sea creature is the blue-ringed octopus. He lives in the Indian Ocean.
• The largest accumulation of corals in the world - the Great Barrier Reef, is located in the Pacific Ocean.

The Pacific Ocean, in terms of area and depth, is the largest and deepest ocean on our planet. Its area is 178.684 million km? (which exceeds the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe entire land by almost 30 million km?), And the greatest depth in the Mariana Trench is 10994 +/- 40 m. The average depth is 3984 m. From north to south, the length of the ocean is approximately 15.8 thousand km, and the width from east to west is 19.5 thousand km. Ferdinand Maggelan (the Portuguese and Spanish navigator who was the first to cross this vast ocean) called it “quiet” because during his journey, which lasted three months and twenty days, the weather was calm all the time.

Location of the Pacific Ocean

The share of the Pacific Ocean in the surface of the World Ocean is 49.5%, and the volume of water is 53%. It is divided into two regions - northern and southern, the boundary of which is the equator. Since the Pacific Ocean is very large, its borders run along the coasts of several continents. In the north, the border with the Arctic Ocean is a line that connects two capes: Cape Dezhnev and Cape Prince of Wales.

In the west, the waters of the ocean wash Eurasia and Australia, then its border runs along the eastern side of Bass Strait, which connects Australia and the island of Tasmania, and drops south along the meridian 146 ° 55 'E. to Antarctica.

In the east, the Pacific Ocean washes the coasts of North and South America, and to the south, the border between it and the Atlantic Ocean runs from Cape Horn along the meridian 68 ° 04 'W. to the Antarctic Peninsula.

But the part of the southern waters of the Pacific Ocean, which is located south of the 60th parallel of south latitude, belongs to the Southern Ocean.

Seas and bays of the Pacific Ocean

The sea is a part of the ocean that differs from it in currents, the properties of water and the organisms living in it. The seas are inland and marginal. They are separated from the ocean by islands, peninsulas or underwater uplifts.

Seas located along the coasts of Eurasia

The Bering Sea - washes the shores of Russia and the United States. Previously, on the maps of the 18th century, it was called the Beaver or Kamchatka Sea. Later it was named after the navigator Vitus Bering. Area 2.315 million sq. km. The maximum depth is 4151 m. The peculiarity of this sea is that for 10 months its surface is covered with ice. It is inhabited by common seals, walruses, bearded seals, 402 species of fish, several species of whales. The sea has 28 bays.

Sea of ​​Okhotsk - washes the shores of Russia and Japan. Named after the river - Hunt. It used to be called Lamsky and Kamchatsky. Area - 1603 thousand km?. Maximum depth 3916m. In winter, the northern part of the sea is covered with ice. The sea has 26 bays.

The Sea of ​​Japan is a marginal sea separated from the ocean by Sakhalin Island and the Japanese Islands. Washes the shores of Japan, Russia, North Korea and the Republic of Korea. Area - 1062 thousand km?. The greatest depth is 3742m. In winter, its northern part freezes over. Under the water world in the northern and southern areas of the sea is very different. In the northern part, flora and fauna characteristic of temperate latitudes have formed, while in the southern part, warm-water fauna predominates. There are squids and octopuses here. It has 57 bays.

The Inland Sea of ​​Japan is connected to the Sea of ​​Japan by the Shimonoseki Strait. It includes the seas of Bingo, Hiuchi, Suo, Iyo and Harima. The area is 18,000 km². Maximum depth 241m.

The Yellow Sea is a shallow marginal sea located on the east coast of Asia. The name is due to its color. The Huanghai River brings a lot of silt into the sea and thus makes it brown-yellow. Sometimes the coasts of the Yellow Sea are simply covered with algae.

Washes the sea of ​​the DPRK, China and the Republic of Korea. Area - 416 thousand km?. The maximum depth is 106 m. Bays: Dalyanvan, West Korean, Bohaivan, Liaodong, Laizhouvan, Jiaozhouvan.

It is here that you can see a very interesting phenomenon - the "Miracle of Moses" - the phenomenon of water parting between the two islands of Chindo and Modo.

At low tide between these islands, the water parted several times a year and only for one hour. A road up to 2.8 km long and up to 40 meters wide appears. A huge number of tourists come to these parts to see this phenomenon and follow this path. If someone does not have time to complete their journey, the boats and the police will help them.

The East China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea located between the Japanese Islands and the Chinese coast. Area - 836 thousand km?. The maximum depth is 2719 m.

The Philippine Sea is an inter-island sea located near the Philippine archipelago. It ranks second in size, after the Sargasso Sea. The area is 5726 thousand km². The maximum depth is 10,994 ± 40 m (the Mariana Trench or it is also called the Mariana Trench).

The Mariana Trench is one of the mysterious places on our planet, which is inhabited by the most unusual creatures.

Seas located between the islands of Southeast Asia

The South China Sea is a semi-enclosed sea off the coast of Southeast Asia. The area is 3,537,289 km², and the maximum depth is 5560 m. Monsoons and typhoons are a great danger in this sea. The sea has 7 bays. Part of this sea is the Gulf of Thailand.

The Java Sea is an inter-island sea located to the north of the island of Java. The area is 552 thousand km?, and the average depth is 111 m. The main straits are the Sunda and Makassar. The fauna of this sea is very diverse.

Sulu is a sea clearly defined by islands. This sea is unique in the presence of coral reefs. Tubbataha Atoll is located here, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is protected by a marine reserve.

Sulawesi is an inter-island sea. The area of ​​the sea is about 453 thousand km?, the depth is up to 6220 m. Mangrove forests grow on the shores of the island of Kalimantan, and there are a lot of coral reefs in the Sulu archipelago.

This list also includes the following seas: Flores, Savu, Seram, Halmahera, Bali, Banda, Moluccas.

Seas along the east coast of Australia

The New Guinea or Bismarck Sea is an inter-island sea with an area of ​​310 thousand km2 and a maximum depth of 2665 m. Underground earthquakes often occur in this sea.

Solomon - interisland sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean. The area of ​​the sea is about 755 thousand km², the average depth is 2652 m. It has three bays: Velha, Kula, Huon.

Coral - the sea of ​​the Pacific Ocean, whose area is 4791 thousand km², and the maximum depth is 9140 m. This sea is famous for the fact that it contains the largest coral reef of our planet.

Fiji is an inter-island sea with an area of ​​3177 thousand km?. Maximum depth 7633m. It has a complex bottom relief: ridges and volcanoes. The underwater world of this sea is very rich and diverse.

Tasmanovo is the sea that separates Australia and New Zealand. The maximum depth is 5200 m. It has 9 bays.

The eastern part of the ocean, located along the coasts of North and South America, has no seas, but there are such large bays as Alaska, California and Panama.

Islands of the Pacific.

The ocean is located from 20-30 thousand islands and the world's largest Malay archipelago. In the Pacific Ocean, there are the second (New Guinea, with an area of ​​​​785,753 thousand km?) And the third (Kalimantan, whose area is 743,330 km?) The largest islands. The largest island is Greenland, with an area of ​​2,130,800 km?, which is washed by the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

New Guinea is the second largest island separated from Australia by the Torres Strait. The climate here is dominated by equatorial and subequatorial. Tropical rain forests grow on the island. The western part of the island belongs to Indonesia, and the eastern part belongs to the state of Papua New Guinea. There are mountain ranges on the island. Since the island is tropical, the flora and fauna are very diverse here. In 2005, American researchers discovered a place on this island, which they called the "Garden of Eden". This place, located on the slopes of the mountains of Fiji and occupying 300 thousand hectares, has long been isolated from the influence of the outside and the world. Scientists have discovered here unknown species of frogs, butterflies, palm trees and other plants.

Kalimantan is the third largest island, which is divided between three states: Malaysia, Brunei and Indonesia. It was discovered by Magellan's expedition in 1521. It is located in the center of the Malay Archipelago and is considered the largest backbone of Asia. The climate here is equatorial. There are many low mountains on the island, the highest point is Mount Kinabalu (4095 m). The entire territory of the island is occupied by dense forests. There is a huge variety of animals and plants. There are also many unexplored places. One of the interesting plants grows here - Rafflesia Arnold. There are a lot of orchids on the island. Oil and diamonds are mined on the island of Kalimantan.

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There are five oceans in the world - the Atlantic Ocean, the Arctic Ocean, the Indian Ocean, the Pacific Ocean and the Southern Ocean. Each of these oceans is characterized by a certain area, depth and size. Want to know which ocean is the deepest ocean in the world? The largest and deepest ocean in the world is the Pacific Ocean. It covers an area of ​​65,300 thousand square miles or 169,200,000 square kilometers. The ocean extends from the Arctic Ocean to the Southern Ocean.

According to geographic data, about 46 percent of the surface waters of the earth belong to the Pacific Ocean. In other words, it accounts for up to 30 percent of the earth's surface. An interesting fact is that the volume of the Pacific Ocean is believed to be about 622 million cubic meters. The Pacific Ocean is divided into two parts, the North Pacific Ocean and the South Pacific Ocean, the division occurs along the equator.

Speaking of the average depth of the Pacific Ocean, oceanographers suggest that it will be about 13,215 feet. The main reason is the collision of oceanic plates in this region. Two converging oceanic plates collided with each other, and one of them moved down to the mantle layer. This collision led to the formation of the Mariana Trench - 35,797 feet or 10,911 meters.

Photo of the deepest ocean

Benoit Lecomte(Benoit Lecomte) was the first person to undertake such an adventure. His six-month and 5,500-mile swim will introduce people to the world's oceans from the inside.

The idea to swim across the Pacific Ocean from Tokyo to San Francisco came to Lecomte a few years ago. Since June 5 this year, he spends eight hours a day in the water, overcoming the largest ocean on the planet. Benoit pursues not only sports goals. Part of the Swimming expedition are research projects in the fields of biology, oceanography and medicine, which Lecomte and six people from his support team are leading together with research teams from NASA and the Oceanographic Institute at Woods Hole.

Swimmer

You may be familiar with his name. In 1998, Benoist became the first person to swim across the Atlantic Ocean, starting from Massachusetts in the US and finishing in France, with a week-long stop in the Azores. That swim was dedicated to the memory of Father Lecomte and cancer research. The swimmer devoted four years to preparing for the current expedition.

“The ocean is in danger right now,” Lecomte says. We don't really know much about it. No one has yet collected data from one coast to another.”

By undertaking such an incredible journey, he hopes to raise public awareness of the human impact on the world's oceans.

Support

From Tokyo, Lecomte is escorted by Seeker, a yacht with six crew members, fully equipped for a semi-annual voyage. On it, the athlete rests after daily swimming sessions, in the same place, if necessary, he can get help. Lecomte swims about 30 nautical miles a day. Each morning Seeker uses GPS data to bring Benoit back to where he was picked up the night before. In addition to the usual swimming equipment - a suit, a mask with a snorkel and fins - the swimmer's arsenal includes an electromagnetic device that repels sharks and a biometric sensor. Data from the medical sensor feeds information about Lecomte's health to the crew and medical team on land.

Research

The athlete is equipped with research equipment, including a small radiation sensor to detect and measure contamination from the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011. The team is also collecting data on plastic pollution in the Pacific. Lecomte will get to see the Great Pacific Garbage Patch with his own eyes.

“This spot does not consist of large plastic elements, but of very small fragments,” says Lecomte, “so its real size is not visible from the satellite. The only way you can detect it is by casting a net and gauging its density. That way you know you're in the Pacific Garbage Patch."

With the help of modern technology, Benoit takes part in several medical studies. His health is monitored by doctors in Texas.

"We're very interested in studying the limits of the human body," says Benjamin Levin, PhD, Institute of Sports and Environmental Medicine. “Benoit and his experiment is a perfect example for us.”

You can follow Benoît Lecomte's adventure at benlecomte.com, Seeker.com, Discovery Go and Instagram.
We give a description of several days that we remember from Lecomte's diary.

1 day. June 5, 2018
departure

This day was very emotionally charged: after so many years of preparation, I will finally make my dream come true. However, it is not easy to realize that I am leaving family and friends for such a long time. We swam the first 50 meters with my children, Anna and Max, then hugged in the water and said goodbye for a long time. I was left alone with my thoughts, reliving the moments before sailing. After an hour of swimming, the water temperature began to drop and it became less comfortable to swim. At five o'clock on the first day of the swim, Seeker colleagues reported a five-foot shark they had seen nearby. While our medic Max was paddling towards me in a kayak with predator-repellent equipment, I saw a three-foot shark swimming in the opposite direction right behind me. Having looked around and no longer seeing danger nearby, I continued to swim on. Max swam up in a kayak, measured my pulse and offered to finish for today. Well, six hours for the first day is not so bad. And tomorrow will be a new day.

Day 15 June 20
Unforeseen difficulties

This morning, a strong northeast wind blew again, raising large waves. Waves also came from the south. It was a rather strange combination, and it clearly worked against me. I had to put on an extra layer of swimming suit. Now I made more effort to swim, but it became much warmer. After my second hour on the water, I was wondering what my speed was. It turned out that it was only a little more than one knot. I was upset - what's the point of sailing all day, and as a result, cover only a few miles, like yesterday. We tried to take a little to the south, but there was not much difference. Another hour passed - the speed increased by only a few knots. It was no good; I got even more upset. I had to interrupt the voyage for today ... I hope this weather will not last long.

Day 20 June 25
Good company

I didn't get much sleep today. When it was time to dive into the water, it began to rain. The first two hours of sailing, as usual, flew by unnoticed for me, but I was worried about T and Max, who accompanied me in a kayak, because the rain did not stop. Fortunately for us, a group of dolphins suddenly appeared, instantly raising our spirits. They allowed me to approach them, and for half a minute I swam in their flock - it was amazing! Sometimes they jumped out of the water, and I heard the delighted cries of Ti and Max. A little later we met another flock of dolphins, but these did not stay long. They must have been interested in the fish nailed to the bottom of the kayak. Such unique moments, lived together with loved ones, make them even more profound. It was a truly unforgettable day, thank you, friends.

21 day. June 26
Plastic

Maria, Seeker team: “While Ben continues to swim, we look after him and the crew of the boat, while at the same time watching the endless ocean around. But the picture is not only majestic, but, alas, sad: the ocean is full of garbage. Almost every minute we see something that should not be in the ocean - bottles, polystyrene, all kinds of plastic ... To be honest, I am horrified by the realization of how much a person affects the environment, and especially from the fact that we do not notice it . And because we do not directly interact with the consequences of our activities, it is very easy to ignore them, pretending that everything is in order. I feel a great need to show people how big the problem is and how acute the issue of human responsibility to nature is now.

Whenever possible, we fish for some debris and watch how marine life adapts to it, how new ecosystems grow right before our eyes. On the one hand, this wonderful ability of nature to adapt to everything cannot but impress, but there is also a downside - a negative impact, the extent of which we cannot even measure yet.

With the help of GPS, we try to fix the location of especially large accumulations of debris.

It is interesting to understand how garbage gets into the ocean and what happens to it next. This may help to study the problem, but in order to solve it, we need to radically change the approach to consumption. And this is a personal matter for everyone - how much plastic they use, how they dispose of it, whether there is a need for disposable packaging at all, given the deplorable consequences of its use.

I'm sure that Ben with his crazy "Swim" is a great way to draw the attention of society to this problem and together try to solve it."

Day 27 July 2
curious turtle

Great weather again today. Early in the morning, Mark spotted a turtle to my right. She swam very close, looking at me. It was followed by a colony of about 20 fish. Having made an almost complete circle around me, the turtle and its retinue dived into the depths and disappeared without a trace. A couple of hours later we saw them again, but not so close. In the evening we noticed dolphins, but they did not allow us to swim up to them.

Day 45 July 20
Nausea

The weather was bad that morning, and according to the forecasts, no improvement was expected. Harsh winds and rain are not the best conditions for swimming, so Max suggested that I take a moment to rest and eat my fill, which I did. But I was not used to being on a yacht that was being tossed about by the waves, and I began to feel sick. There is a big difference - to be in a rough sea in the water or on a yacht. In the second case, the body is forced to adapt to the rhythm of the boat, which can be rather unpleasantly tossed on the waves, while in the water the same waves raise and lower you quite gently. Therefore, in harsh seas, I have to get used to being on board for a while, and sometimes, as now, this is accompanied by nausea.

Day 48 July 23
The appearance of whales

"Whales!" Max shouted, pointing overboard. Paul was at the helm this morning, I was on deck with him. The whole crew gathered at the top in an instant, and Paul turned the yacht around to where the spray was coming from. We all watched a magnificent picture: birds were circling above the water, and whales were splashing under the water, sending up jets of water. Paul brought the yacht to a halt nearby, and in less than a minute, a jet rose from the water a few meters away. Max grabbed his GoPro and jumped into the water.
These shots are some of the best of our trip.

Day 64 August 7
Communication with the ocean

When I swim in the heart of the ocean, I do not need Wi-Fi, because there is a more subtle connection here. In this age of the Internet and social networks, we often forget how important it is to be alone with yourself for some time. In this regard, I was lucky to be in the company of the ocean most of the day. This is important to me because I can ask myself a lot of important questions. How can I best express what I'm experiencing? How to make people hear the real voice of the ocean? I have never felt so close to this unknown watery universe, and I hope I will be able to convey this feeling to people. Perhaps together we can find a way to protect him.

Day 65 8 August
What am I striving for?

I am not against plastic, I am for a responsible attitude to its use. I would not like to put an extra burden on the shoulders of the next generation. Like many today, I try to cut down on the amount of packaging I buy. And yet, probably, he is not ready to completely abandon plastic in everyday life. But what I see in the ocean today makes me really think about how to solve this problem. I hope that those who read this blog hear me.

It would seem that the Pacific Ocean should be serene, but in fact it is not at all calm - storms often rage here. The name was given by Ferdinand Magellan, who for three months did not fall into a storm, all the while observing a relatively calm water surface. The area is 180 million square kilometers, which is about 30 percent of the earth's surface, or half the area of ​​​​all the oceans and more than the area of ​​\u200b\u200ball the land combined. The extreme points - the Malay Peninsula and Panama are located at a distance of 24 thousand kilometers from each other, this is more than half of the circumference of the globe.

Peculiarities

The Pacific Ocean is by no means a calm place. Strong hurricanes sweep over the water. Tsunamis caused by earthquakes form waves that rush towards the coast at a speed of almost a thousand kilometers per hour, causing great destruction.

Tsunami in Japan

Europeans discovered the Pacific Ocean later than other oceans. It was visited almost simultaneously by the indigenous inhabitants of Europe from two sides - from the west in 1512 by the Portuguese Serrana and Di Abreu, and from the east - in 1513 by the Spaniard Nunez de Balboa, who crossed the Isthmus of Panama.

The water level of the Pacific Ocean is higher than in neighboring oceans; in such expanses, the law on vessels that communicate with each other does not work.

The perimeter of the Pacific Ocean is the line where tectonic plates collide, this is the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, this name was given due to the many active volcanoes. This dangerous area is rife with earthquakes, which often cause tsunamis. Only the South Pacific is a relatively calm place.

In ancient times, people on fairly simple ships plowed the ocean surface. This was proved by Thor Heyerdahl, who sailed on rafts made of Balsa wood from the coast of Peru to the Tuamotu archipelago. The endpoints were 7,000 kilometers apart, and the voyage itself took more than three months.

Large waves that form in different places are suitable for surfing.

On the island of Yap, you can see the largest monetary units - these are stone rings, the diameter of some of them exceeds two meters. People do not transfer them from place to place, but knock out the name of the new owner in front of witnesses, overwriting the name of the old one.

Interesting facts about the Pacific Ocean - records. This is a very deep reservoir - the average depth is about four kilometers, there is the deepest place on Earth - the Mariana Trench, whose depth is more than 11 kilometers. Of course, there are many interesting facts about such a significant place on the planet. There is also the Tonga Trench, which is only 200 meters shallower than the Mariana Trench and is the deepest place in the southern hemisphere. The third deepest place on Earth is located near the Philippine Islands, its depth is more than 10 kilometers. Connecting to the Tonga Trench is the Kermadec Trench, at just over 10 kilometers deep, the fourth deepest place in the Pacific Ocean.

There are many islands here - more than ten thousand (according to one of the data - about 25 thousand), in this parameter it is a champion. Such a large number of islands is explained by volcanic activity in this region - some islands arose from lava, others (for example, atolls) are the tops of volcanic cones. Some islands have arisen on shallows and are of coral origin.

In Micronesia, there are the Mariana Islands, which have a very warm climate - the air temperature is about 30 degrees Celsius, the water temperature is about 25 degrees Celsius. Moreover, temperature fluctuations are minimal - in 1934, the largest difference between the coldest and warmest day of the year was recorded, it amounted to 12 degrees Celsius.

There are many shells in which pearls are found. The largest pearl was found off the island of Palawan (Philippines). She weighed more than six kilograms, with a length of 24 and a width of 16 centimeters.

The Pacific Ocean is associated with warmth and palm trees. But there is a northern ice cover here, which is formed in the Sea of ​​Japan, the Bering Sea, and the Sea of ​​Okhotsk, as well as the southern one, which is formed near Antarctica. Icebergs that float on the sea never cross the equator, and always belong to the part of the hemisphere in which they formed.

In Korea, the tides reach a height of 9 meters.

Animal and plant world

There is as much biomass (plants and animals) here as in all other oceans combined. This is due not only to its large size, but also to the fact that there are many more species in the tropical part than in the same climatic conditions in other parts of the world. In total, there are about 100 thousand animals living in the water in this region.

The largest tridacna lives near the equator, the weight of which can reach four hundred kilograms. It poses a danger to divers, because a large shell with its flaps can pinch the hand of a careless or too curious diver.

In the recent past, sea cows lived on the Commander Islands, which were first discovered by Bering in 1741. These animals lived in these territories even before the appearance of man. But when the hunters appeared, these mammals from the species of sirens were completely exterminated in a few decades.

The International Date Line, which runs approximately along the 180th meridian, divides time into two days. That is, on two sides of this conditional line - different dates.

In deep depressions there is very strong water pressure and almost complete darkness. But life thrives here, many deep-sea fish glow in the dark. This deep-sea world is little studied. Almost every time when scientific devices descend to great depths, new species of living beings are discovered.

Northeast of Australia is the Great Barrier Reef. This is the largest landform on the planet, which is created by living beings. In addition to many reefs, about a thousand atolls rise on the ocean surface here - low coral islands that have the shape of a ring. This shape is explained by the fact that the cone of an extinct volcano is overgrown with a coral reef in a circle.

The Pacific Ocean is the most touristic place on earth, where locals relax and millions of tourists from all over the world come here. There are many ship routes, as well as air routes. It is very important to preserve the ecology of this place, since the large size does not at all mean that this place is protected from the harmful influence of man. Indeed, in the northern part of the water area there is a large garbage patch - here the waste produced by man is brought by the current. Pollution is very uneven, so its area cannot be accurately determined, but this spot on the water surface (and on the reputation of a person) is very large - from one to one hundred million square kilometers. You can observe the so-called garbage islands with a diameter of hundreds of kilometers.