Surprising & Shocking Beach Facts

Zoonar/N.Okhitin / Zoonar / Thinkstock

Have you ever heard that are more stars in the sky than grains of sand on the beach? It’s shocking to think this is possible, but many experts claim this notion to be true. But what’s more surprising is that there are many beach secrets and ocean mysteries that many people do not know or realize. Get up to date with some astonishingly awesome ocean facts that you can share with your friends on your next beach outing.

Did you know….
…more than 97% of Earth’s water “sits” in the ocean.
…the top 10 feet of the water’s surface holds as much heat as the earth’s atmosphere.
…the average ocean’s temperature is 2-degrees Celsius or approximately 39-degrees Fahrenheit.
…the ocean’s surface area consists of 140 million square miles, or approximately 71% of the earth’s surface.
…the ocean’s average depth is around 2.5 miles.

Did you realize…
…you can see the Great Barrier Reef from the moon?
…only one species of palm tree, the California Palm Tree, is native to California. Other palm trees were imported from other countries, including Spain.
…thousands of turtles nest their eggs in Costa Rica during the last quarter of the moon phase. Sea turtles follow the 28-day lunar cycle as the ocean waves are gentler the next day; thus, keeping eyes protected in the sand.
…the grey whale migrates more than 10,000 miles in one single year.
…Antarctica has much ice as the Atlantic Ocean has water?

Can you believe…
…the Blue Whale’s heart is the size of a Volkswagen Bug.
…the Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest living organism, spreading 1,243 miles.
…Sea Stars regenerate their lost arms
…there are more than 2,000 species of starfish in the ocean
…Mount Kea, located in Hawaii, is 33,474 feet in height from its base but only 13,860 protrudes above the water’s surface.

Are you aware that…
…plastic waste kills up to one million birds and over 100,000 sea mammals each year.
…coral is technically colorless.
…the world’s ocean contains 20 million tons of gold
…a mouthful of seawater contains millions of bacterial cells and thousands of phytoplankton and zooplankton.
…8% of the ocean’s pollution comes from land-based activities and litter.
…less than one-half of a percent of marine habitats are protected.
…as many as 100 million sharks are killed each year for their meat and fins.