More than 70% of the 510 million km2 earth’s surface area is covered by the water bodies such as oceans, seas, rivers, lakes, streams, gulfs and so on. Among them, the oceans and seas enclosing the continents provide several wonders, many of which are yet to be discovered by humans.
However, we are aware that the ocean consists of plateaus, valleys, plains, mountains and trenches, in addition to a deepest point at unfathomable depths. Here is a list of the ten deepest oceans, together with information about their deepest point, depth, and location. Not only that, we share with you the famous dive sites in these seas and oceans.
10.Gulf Of Mexico
Size: | 1.6 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Sigsbee Deep (Mexico Basin) |
Maximum Depth: | 12,300 to 14,383 feet |
Average Depth: | Nearly 5,200 feet |
Location: | American Mediterranean Sea |
Notable Dive Locations: | High Island, Marlin, East Breaks, Flower Garden Banks |
With an average depth of 3,787 meters, the Gulf of Mexico, which lies between the Yucatan and Florida peninsulas, tops the list of the deepest oceans on Earth. The Gulf of Mexico, the tenth-largest body of water on the earth, is the largest Gulf in the world. 600,000 square miles of it were formed and buried by it some 300 million years ago.
It shares a border with more than just the five US states of Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida; it also shares a border with Cuba and a portion of Mexico. One of the planet’s most ancient living things is the black coral found in the Gulf. It produces at a particularly sluggish rate, growing 2,000 times more slowly than human nails.
At least 49 distinct species of sharks, dolphins, sea turtles, whales, and manatees can be found in the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Strangely enough, not all black coral is actually black. The Gulf is home to abundant natural resources, including oil and gas.
The Hot Tub of Despair, an underwater saline pool in the Gulf of Mexico off the coast of New Orleans, was uncovered in 2014. Its water is warmer and four times as salty as saltwater. Marine animals that stray here do not survive. The deepest area is Sigsbee Deep, which is anticipated to reach a depth of between 12,300 and 14,383 feet. multiply kilometres by 0.386102 to convert sq km (kilometers) to sq miles.
9.Mediterranean sea
Size: | 2.5 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Calypso Deep (Ionian Sea) |
Maximum Depth: | 17,280 feet |
Average Depth: | 4,900 feet |
Location: | Western Europe, Southern Europe, North Africa and Western Asia |
Notable Dive Locations: | Malta, Gozo, Comino, Dalmatian Coast, Iraklia |
The Mediterranean Sea, which is sometimes mistaken for a section of the Atlantic Ocean and is located between southern Europe and North Africa, is a separate body of water. The Latin word “mediterraneus,” which means “in the middle of the land,” is where it gets its name. The Strait of Gibraltar, which is around 965,000 square miles, is included. In ancient times, the Mediterranean Sea served as a crucial shipping route. It remains a crucial transportation route.
After defeating Egypt, Darius I of Persia built a waterway that connected the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. It is becoming a popular migration route. It was estimated that more than a million migrants travelled this route to reach Europe in 2015. Pollution from sewage, mercury, lead, phosphate, mineral oil, and marine debris is the biggest issue in the Mediterranean Sea.
Due to the Atlantic Ocean’s narrow link, the Mediterranean Sea’s tides are constrained. Its water is a tad saltier than the Atlantic Ocean because of evaporation and the tight proximity. The European Environment Agency asserts that 65% of fish stocks in the Mediterranean Sea are below permissible biological limits as a result of overfishing. With an average depth of 4,632 meters, the Mediterranean sea tops the list of the deepest oceans on the planet.
8. Bering Sea
Size: | 2 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Bowers Basin |
Maximum Depth: | 13,442 feet |
Average Depth: | 4892 feet |
Location: | Pacific Ocean |
Notable Dive Location: | Alaska |
A section of the Northern Pacific Ocean is the Bering Sea. Alaska borders it on all sides, with the Alaska Peninsula and Kamchatka Peninsula to the east and northeast, the Bering Strait to the far north, the Aleutian Islands to the south, and the Kamchatka Peninsula and Russia’s Far East to the west. The Danish sailor Vitus Bering, who was the first European to discover its waters, gave the Bering Sea its name in 1728.
The Bering Sea, which is thought to be international seas, is known as the “Donut Hole.” Its surface size is 770,000 square miles. This sea used to be so shallow that travellers could travel freely from Asia to North America. It is believed to have occurred during the most recent ice age. Animals move between continents during this time in both directions. Also situated here is Zhemchug Canyon, the largest canyon in the world.
North Pacific Right whale, the rarest whale, also exists here along with sperm whale, beluga whale, blue whale, fin whale, sei whale, gray whale, humpback whale, and bowhead whale. The Bering Sea is home to around 419 different fish species, according to records. With an average depth of 4,773 meters, the Bering Sea is the deepest ocean on the planet.
7. South China Sea
Size: | 3.5 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | China Sea Basin |
Maximum Depth: | 16,457 feet |
Average Depth: | 3359 feet |
Location: | Western Pacific Ocean |
Notable Dive Locations: | Fujian Province, Beijing |
The Cham or Champa Sea, named after the Champa empire, was the previous name for the South China Sea. Its surface size is 1,400,000 square miles. This sea is considered having developed some 45 million years ago, creating the sizable area referred to as “dangerous ground.” Under the sea level of the South China Sea, it is thought to hold significant gas and oil deposits. The South China Sea has over 30% of the world’s coral reefs.
Fisheries are a significant sector of the South China Sea economy. The South China Sea is thought to be the source of 10% or so of all marine fish in the world. If China controls the whole South China Sea, other countries’ ability to transport troops on the water will be constrained.
In the Spratly Islands in this sea, there have been reports of fishermen using dynamite and poison to catch fish, causing extensive environmental damage. The South China Sea has a unique protection programme because it is home to about 37% of reef fish species and 76% of coral species. With an average depth of 5,016 meters, the South China Sea is the deepest ocean on the planet.
6. Arctic Ocean
Size: | 14.05 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Litke Deep |
Maximum Depth: | 18,210 feet |
Average Depth: | 3,406 feet |
Location: | North Pole |
Notable Dive Locations: | Baffin Island, Greenland |
The Arctic Ocean surrounds Greenland and a number of other islands and is located in the northern hemisphere north of 60 degrees north latitude. It also borders the Eurasian and North American continents. It is one of the smallest and shallowest seas, with less than 3% of its surface covered. The Arctic Ocean is covered in snow for the most of the winter and for a portion of the year. Fridtjof Nansen made history by becoming the first person to sail across the ocean in 1896.
The Arctic Ocean is roughly the same area as Russia, which has a surface area of 5,427,000 square miles. Polar, swift, and pack ice are the three types of ice that cover the ocean. With an average depth of 5,625 meters, the Arctic Ocean tops the list of the deepest oceans on the planet. The ocean has various hills and deep trenches. The Lomonosov Ridge, which divides it into the Amerasian Basin and the Eurasian Basin, is the area’s biggest ridge.
There are numerous rivers that empty into the sea. One of the world’s longest rivers, the Ob River originates in the Altay Mountains and empties into the Arctic Ocean. Icebergs and ice packs will be encountered in the ocean in any season.
Owing to the Artic Ocean’s minimal connectivity to other oceans, low evaporation and significant freshwater inflow, it has the lowest salinity of all the oceans.
The Arctic Ocean has the lowest salinity of all the oceans due to its low evaporation, significant freshwater influx, and minimal connectivity to other oceans. Salinity fluctuates according to the freezing and melting of the ice covers.
5. Caribbean Sea
Size: | 2.754 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Cayman Trough, between the Cayman Islands and Jamaica |
Maximum Depth: | 25,217 feet |
Average Depth: | 7,220 feet |
Location: | Caribbean Plate |
Notable Dive Location | Belize, Bonaire, Cozumel, The Bahamas and Cayman Islands |
The Caribbean Sea is located near the Western Hemisphere’s equator and is an American Mediterranean sea of the Atlantic Ocean. The Caribbean is generally understood to include the whole Caribbean Sea, as well as various islands in the West Indies and neighbouring shores. The Gulf of Gonâve, Gulf of Venezuela, Gulf of Darién, Golfo de Los Mosquitos, Gulf of Paria, and Gulf of Honduras are just a few of the gulfs and bays that make up its coastline. With a maximum depth of 7,686 meters, the Caribbean Sea tops the list of the deepest oceans on the planet.
4. Southern Ocean
Size: | 20.3 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Meteor Deep, South Sandwich Trench |
Maximum Depth: | 23,740 feet |
Average Depth: | 3,000 and 16,000 feet |
Location: | Antartica |
Notable Dive Locations: | Polar diving-Antartica |
The Antarctic or Austral Ocean are other names for this body of water. It is smaller than the Indian and Pacific oceans and bigger than the Arctic Ocean. The two largest waters in the Southern Sea are the Weddell Sea and the Somov Sea. Natural resources like oil, gas, and iron are present. With a maximum depth of 7,434 meters, the Southern Ocean tops the list of the deepest oceans on the planet.
There is some disagreement over whether the Southern Ocean should be a separate ocean or an extension of the Atlantic, Pacific, and Indian Oceans, despite the fact that it was officially defined in 2000.
3. Indian Ocean
Size: | 73.56 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Sunda Deep, Java Trench off the southern coast, Java Island, Indonesia |
Maximum Depth: | 23,812 feet |
Average Depth: | 12,274 feet |
Location: | South and Southeast Asia, Western Asia, Northeast, East and Southern Africa and Australia |
Notable Dive Locations: | Seychelles, Maldives, Musandam, Bali, Oman |
The Indian Ocean, which occupies 20% of the planet’s surface, is the third-largest ocean in the world. Africa, Asia, Australia, and the Southern Ocean, or Antarctica, form its western, northern, eastern, and southern borders, respectively. The Arabian Sea, the Laccadive Sea, the Somali Sea, the Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman Sea are only a few of its peripheral waters.
With an average depth of 7,258 meters, the Indian Ocean tops the list of the deepest oceans on the planet. However, the Indian Ocean will be the second-deepest ocean by average depth, given its average depth of 12,274 feet.
Also, owing to its enormous size, the Indian Ocean has a massive volume of 292,131,000 cubic kilometers. Now, when you compare it with the Atlantic and Pacific Ocean, there are some differences. First, the Northern Hemisphere is entirely landlocked and does not reach the Arctic Ocean. Second, the continental shelves of the Indian Ocean are small and there are fewer islands. Furthermore, it is the only ocean in the world with asymmetric surface circulations that reverse semi-annually.
Also, being the warmest ocean in the world, it provides minimal room for growth for plankton and other animals.
2. Atlantic Ocean
Size: | 82.36 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Milwaukee Deep, island of Puerto Rico |
Maximum Depth: | 27,480 feet |
Average Depth: | 11,962 feet |
Location: | lies between North and South America on the west and Europe and Africa on the east |
Notable Dive Locations: | Grand Bahama, Cozumel, Grand Cayman, British Virgin Islands, Bermuda, Bonaire, Honduras, The Great Blue Hole |
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest ocean on the planet. Europeans are known to distinguish between the “old world” and the “new world. ” It’s also intriguing to consider that the term “Atlantic” originates in Greek mythology and refers to the “Sea of Atlas.” There are two areas of this ocean: the Northern Atlantic Ocean and the Southern Atlantic Ocean. The Caribbean Sea, Mediterranean Sea, and Sargasso Sea are some of the largest seas in the Atlantic Ocean.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-deepest ocean in the world, with a maximum depth of 8,376 metres. It is roughly halfway between North and South America in the west and between Europe and Africa in the east. It also links the Southern Ocean in the north to the Artic Ocean.
Also, the Atlantic Ocean is the world’s saltiest water, with the salinity level ranging from 33 to 37 parts per thousand. Most important, the Atlanitc Ocean is home to the mystical Bermuda Triangle, an area infamous for the strange disappearance of many airplanes and ships.
Speaking of beauty, the American Atlantic coast boasts some of the most stunning beaches and trenches that will astound you!
1. Pacific Ocean
Size: | 165.25 million square kilometres |
Deepest Point: | Challenger Deep, Mariana Trench |
Maximum Depth: | 35,797 feet |
Average Depth: | 14,040 feet |
Location: | The Antarctic in the South to the Arctic in the North, Asia and Australia continents on the west, North and South America on the east |
Notable Dive Locations: | Great Barrier Reef, Lembeh Strait, Chuuk Lagoon, Raja Ampat, Tubbataha, Malapascua, Palau, Sipadan, Komodo |
The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest ocean basin on Earth. Between the continents of Asia and Australia in the west and America in the east, it stretches from the Arctic Ocean in the north to the Antarctic Ocean in the south.
With a maximum depth of 10,911 meters, the Pacific Ocean is the deepest ocean in the world. Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, which is located in the western north Pacific, is the deepest point in the cosmos.
The second and third deepest points on the Earth are Horizon Deep in the Tonga Trench and the Sirena Deep is in the Mariana Trench. Its western part includes many marginal seas such as the South China Sea, the East China Sea, the Sea of Japan, the Sea of Okhotsk, the Philippine Sea, the Coral Sea, and the Tasman Sea.
The Pacific Ocean has the credit of having the highest number of islands (25,000) in the world and is 15 times the size of the United States.
To sum up, this article has brought you the figures related to the biggest oceans and seas and informed you of some unbelievable facts, notable diving spots, and everything you needed to know about the water bodies.