Although water makes up most of Earth’s surface, we still haven’t explored the vast majority of our ocean. A jaw-dropping 95% of our global ocean remains unknown. And so, the waves hide many mysteries, intriguing sights, and incredibly cool animals.
Today, we’re featuring some of the fascinating photos shared by members of the sprawling ‘Oceans Are [Freaking] Lit’ (aka OAFL) online community. Scroll down to check out the pics and see just how incredible our planet’s ocean can be.
#1 This Baby Dolphin Getting A Ride On His Mother's Back
Image credits: reddit.com
#2 Photographer Captures An Extreme Close-Up Of A Whale's Eye For The First Time, Revealing Its Vibrant Blue Hues And Impressive Details
Image credits: Lordwarrior_
#3 Convincing An Octopus To Trade In His Plastic Cup For Seashells
Image credits: phileo99
National Geographic estimates that 97% of the world’s water is found in the ocean. So, the ocean has a “considerable impact” not only on the weather and temperature but also on the food supply of people and other organisms.
The irony is that human beings have mapped more of the surfaces of the moon and Mars than our very own ocean floor.
#4 This Blue Lobster Was Caught Off The Coast Of Portland And Returned To The Water To Continue To Grow. Blue Lobsters Are One In Two Million
Image credits: Soloflow786
#5 Sharing My Whale Shark Shot
Image credits: benfreediver
#6 I Made An Octopus Carving From Deer Antler Material
Image credits: Shot-Barracuda-6326
NASA states that countless comets and asteroids collided with Earth over billions of years, “enriching our planet with water.” It’s theorized that most of the water in our oceans came from asteroids.
It’s very likely that Venus may have had our solar system’s first oceans billions of years ago. However, due to a lack of a strong global magnetic field and a runaway greenhouse effect, the water may have boiled and escaped into space via solar wind.
#7 Rainbow Lobster
Image credits: cozycup109
#8 Look At This Square Biscuit Starfish
Image credits: cloudnest154
#9 The Pacific Ocean Takes Up Half The Earth. A Different Perspective Of Its Sheer Scale
Image credits: That-Jelly6305
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) explains that the ocean is the largest living space on our planet, covering nearly 70% of the Earth’s surface.
“It seems that perhaps we ought to know a bit more about the planet we call home. But we don’t…” Currently, humankind has explored just 5% of our planet’s ocean, with 95% still unexplored.
#10 This Crab Is So Cute And Has A Cheetah Pattern
Image credits: delilah-roseE
#11 Wooow
Image credits: hollandashly
#12 Helicocranchia Pfefferi, Better Known As The Piglet Squid
Image credits: BlancheMagnetic
According to NOAA, the ocean is an interconnected network of animals, plants, rocks, and other structures, so changes in one component of the ecosystem can have “dramatic impacts on the ecosystem as a whole.”
Furthermore, people can affect many changes in the ocean as well, whether intentionally or by accident. As such, it’s important to be aware of how we use the ocean’s resources.
#13 A 392-Year-Old Greenland Shark In The Arctic Ocean Has Been Wandering The Ocean Since 1627
Image credits: sbgroup65
#14 Bioluminescent Splash At Sunset - A Stones Throw Away
Image credits: PyroFarms
#15 Curious Sea Lion
Image credits: [deleted]
NOAA points out that it’s difficult to manage the world’s oceans and its resources if we simply don’t know what’s out there. So, by focusing more on exploration, we can ensure that the oceans are managed well.
“Oftentimes we don’t think about our limited knowledge of the deep ocean until after disaster strikes and it’s too late. An oil spill or a missing airplane can quickly demonstrate both how little we know about these environments and how difficult it is to get timely, actionable information about deep-water areas,” the Administration explains.
#16 The Colours Of Corals
Image credits: QuaintMushrooms
#17 Atlantic Summer, My Oil Painting
Image credits: kznsq
#18 One Of My Favorite Shot From This Year. Taken In Panglao, Philippines
Image credits: benfreediver
“Deep reaches of the ocean are places with almost freezing temperatures, corrosive saltwater, limited or no light, and extreme pressures. Not only do we not always know what’s there, we often are lacking the tools and technology needed to get to these extreme places,” NOAA states.
#19 Octopus Going For It's Morning Run
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#20 Golden Entourage
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#21 Lost At Sea. Original Wet Charcoal And Pastel Art By Me
Image credits: nobrakes1975
According to NOAA, it’s through ocean exploration (e.g., mapping the seafloor, disseminating data about ocean waters, etc.) that we can establish baseline information that’s needed to understand environmental change better.
This info can be critical for communities that live in coastal areas and which need to stay safe, resilient, and economically sound as sea levels rise, temperatures warm, and storms become more frequent and severe.
#22 The Colors Are Vibrant And Joyful.💕
Image credits: hollandashly
#23 A Beautiful Bubble Snail Cruising The Ocean Floor
Image credits: Simpster_xD
#24 Dolphins Are Pretty Smart
Image credits: That-Jelly6305
The ‘Oceans Are [Freaking] Lit’ subreddit was created just a few years ago, in March of 2022 and currently boasts 319k followers. According to the team running the online group, they are “proudly partnered” with the popular ‘Nature Is [Freaking] Lit,’ which has a whopping 17 million followers.
As per the mods, everyone who wants to post content on OAFL should, naturally, focus only on pictures, videos, and artwork of oceans. “Stick to the topic of the sub people, it shouldn't be that hard,” they say. They point out that the content they share should have a “wow factor” instead of being “some generic photo of a fish that pops up when you Google ‘fish.’”
#25 Tasmanian Giant Crab, 3rd Largest Crustacean In The World
Image credits: Old_Copy_5498
#26 Very Curious Octopus
Image credits: shankingsh
#27 This Beauty Swam By And Gave Me A Wink
Image credits: Madartist72
Because there’s such a big focus on original and quality content, reposts are “highly discouraged,” even though they are technically allowed, so long as the content is at least a month old. What’s more, the OAFL community is encouraged to put some effort into their titles to make them descriptive. Meanwhile, if you’re into art, you can share ocean-related artwork and drawings only on weekends.
#28 Horned Nudibranch I Found Under A Dock :)
Image credits: B0gsna1l
#29 Blanket Octopus
Image credits: sh0tgunben
#30 Thresher Sharks In Malapascua, Philippines
Image credits: benfreediver
Which of these photos caught your attention the most, dear Pandas? What are your thoughts about the ocean, as a whole? Do you feel awed or a bit frightened by it (or a bit of both)?
What do you realistically think it would take for more researchers to focus on ocean exploration? We’re always happy to hear your opinions. Feel free to share yours in the comments at the very bottom of this post.
#31 🔥 Evening View From Punta Sur, Isla Mujeres
Image credits: OceanEarthGreen
#32 Gorgeous Velvet-Looking Giant Clam Living Its Best Life On The Great Barrier Reef
Image credits: Whaleshark658
#33 Clownfish & Her Hundred Of Eggs
Image credits: sh0tgunben
#34 Low Tide In Oregon
Image credits: Alaric_Darconville
#35 Pretty Pink Meanie, Florida
Image credits: Frogbreakfest69
#36 Because We Have A Lot Of Residental Orcas In Norway, A Lot Of Sea Birds Follow Them When They Are On The Hunt
Image credits: reindeerareawesome
#37 Beautifully Captured... Clione In All It's Delicate Glory
Image credits: WillSanguine2
#38 Storm At Plymouth Reminding Me Exactly Why Those Barriers Are So High
Image credits: Elephants_and_rocks
#39 A Shimmering Polychaete Crawling Across The Sea Floor
Image credits: No_Emu_1332
#40 Whale Putting On A Show
Image credits: That-Jelly6305
#41 Whale Shark With A Shoal Of Remora Fish Inside Its Mouth
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#42 Got To Experience This Once-In-A-Lifetime Moment
Image credits: JoseBoillat
#43 Leopard Seal Just A Moment Before Swallowing A Penguin
Image credits: NcryptedMind
#44 Two Beautiful Giant Clam Living On The Great Barrier Reef
Image credits: Whaleshark658
#45 Spotted Trunkfish Cruising The Caribbean Reef
Image credits: OceanEarthGreen
#46 Freediving To Leopard Shark Pups Of Laguna Beach
Image credits: OceanEarthGreen
#47 Bull Shark Claims A Crocodile
Image credits: EmptySpaceForAHeart
#48 A Beautiful Tide Pool Filled With Anemones
Image credits: Alaric_Darconville
#49 A Beluga Whale From The Bottom
Image credits: Cold_Pin8708
#50 Intertidal Zone Full Of Temporarily Exposed Ocean Life On The Southern Coast Of Oregon
Image credits: Alaric_Darconville
#51 Took A Picture Of This 5-Cm Spotted Porcelain Crab In Malapascua. It Stayed Still Patiently On A Sea Anemone 🥹
Image credits: EarlGreyPudding
#52 School Of Little Puffer Fish
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#53 Different Deep Sea Squid Sizes Compared To A Human
Image credits: fnaffanatic007
#54 Hairy Frogfish
Image credits: scubaprincess13
#55 Sea Nettle At Mystic Aquarium
Image credits: _daisy13_
#56 Devoted Black-Eyed Squid Mother Carries Eggs With Her For Months
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#57 Claudia Cave In Deep South
Image credits: No_Wrangler8493
#58 What Other Amazing Octopus Facts Do You Know? 🐙
Image credits: WalkingCockroach
#59 Never Realized Octopus Move Some Majestically
Image credits: That-Jelly6305
#60 Is This Rare
Image credits: -_iv-
#61 That Is A Big Tiger Shark
Image credits: lola_dreamlie
#62 Weird Looking Fish In Antarctica, Sorry Don't Know The Name Of Fish
Image credits: JPPT1974
#63 Turtle Snacking On A Jellyfish
Image credits: That-Jelly6305
#64 While Tide Pooling I Was Ecstatic To Come Across This Beautiful Dall’s Chromodorid (Chromodoris Dalli). This Was One Of My Favorite Nudibranch Finds From 2024
Image credits: touchmyrattlesnakes
#65 🔥 Swimming With Atlantic Blue Tangs And Rainbow Parrotfish To The End Of Mia Reef
Image credits: OceanEarthGreen
#66 Olive Sea Snake (Aipysurus Laevis) 🐍🔥
Image credits: scubaprincess13
#67 Release The Babies!
Image credits: AppropriateRate9529
#68 My Valentine's Date This Year In Malapascua
Image credits: EarlGreyPudding
#69 The Ocean’s Most Spotted Beauty, The Leopard Shark
Image credits: mintybreeze383
#70 Moray Eel Under UV Flash
Image credits: Jak_Crow
#71 The Pacific Sea Nettle Jellyfish [oc]
Image credits: Mobile_Millennial
#72 An Octopus Giving A Shark A Weird Surprise Hug
Image credits: Aggressive_Cut4892
#73 Orca And Bottlenose Dolphin Off The Coast Of San Diego
Image credits: KimCureAll
#74 The Beak Of The Nautilus
Image credits: LSDesiree
#75 Stingray Devours A Fish In Front Of People
Image credits: 911_reddit
#76 Rocks Are Full Of Life When You Get Up Close
Image credits: snaphappyadventurer
#77 Smooth Toadfish Up Close. Sydney, Australia
Image credits: snaphappyadventurer
#78 This Giant Ghost Shrimp I Found Last Week
Image credits: B0gsna1l
#79 Great White Shark Eye Close Up
Image credits: -What-on-Earth-
#80 Lakshyadweep, India
Image credits: TechnicianClean5791
#81 Look Who I Came Across!!!
Image credits: 17queen17
#82 In The Afternoon Sushine
Image credits: snaphappyadventurer
#83 Table Coral
Image credits: sciguy3046
#84 Careful Where You Step! Spot The Elusive Scorpionfish
Image credits: SalamanderMinimum967
#85 In The Afternoon Sunshine
Image credits: snaphappyadventurer
#86 Exploring Corals Of The Caribbean, Isla Mujeres. Atlantic Blue Tangs With Purple Sea Fans And Elkhorn Coral. Bermuda Chubs, Fire Blade Coral And Symmetric Brain Coral
Image credits: OceanEarthGreen
#87 No Clue What This Is But I Found It At The Beach And It Was Growing On A Discarded Metal Pipe, Snail Eggs Possibly?
Image credits: thegreatestcrab
#88 Friendly Wanderer Doing A Close Flyby
Image credits: stewbadooba
#89 Extinct Sea Creature Baffling Scientists For Years
Image credits: iliedbro_
#90 Juvenile Leather Jacket
Image credits: snaphappyadventurer
#91 Annual Capelin Spawn, By Beaching Themselves
Image credits: nataliastahlin
#92 This Needle Toothed Torpedo Should Be Outlawed! (Barracuda)
Image credits: GuppyMcBuppy
