10 Interesting the Southern Ocean Facts

Friday, November 4th 2016. | Earth


The Southern Ocean Facts inform us with the southernmost waters of the ocean. People often call it as the Austral Ocean or Antarctic Ocean. There are five major divisions of oceans in the world. Based on its size, Southern Ocean takes the fourth place. Compared to the Arctic Ocean, Southern Ocean is larger. Compared to the Indian, Atlantic and Pacific, the Southern Ocean is smaller. Let us check other interesting facts about the Southern Ocean below:

The Southern Ocean Facts 1: Captain James Cook

Captain James Cook was capable of proving that the southern parts of the world featured the waters based on his voyages in 1770s.

The Southern Ocean Facts 2: the existence

The geographers believe that the waters at the southern areas of the world are parts of the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. Therefore, they deny the existence of Southern Ocean.

killer whale

killer whale

The Southern Ocean Facts 3: the sea temperature

The sea temperature of Southern Ocean is varied. It is around 28 to 50 degrees F or -2 to 10 degrees C. Find facts about the Black Sea here.

The Southern Ocean Facts 4: the intense cyclonic storms

The intense cyclonic storms are spotted due to the contrasting temperature of the open ocean and ice.

james cook

james cook

The Southern Ocean Facts 5: the winds

The wind produced around the Antarctic Circle is considered as the strongest ones in our planet.

The Southern Ocean Facts 6: the sea life

The Southern Ocean is a home to various kinds of sea life. You can spot fur seals, colossal squids, orcas, blue whales and penguins.

southern ocean

southern ocean

The Southern Ocean Facts 7: the phytoplankton

Phytoplanktons play an important role in the continuity of the sea life. Most marine animals depend on the presence of phytoplanktons.

The Southern Ocean Facts 8: the emperor penguin

There are various types of penguins to find in Southern Ocean. The winter season marks the breeding season of emperor penguins.  The unique eyelashes can be found on the rockhopper penguins. Other penguins, which breed in Southern Ocean, include the gentoo penguins, chinstrap penguins and king penguins.

the southern ocean facts

the southern ocean facts

The Southern Ocean Facts 9: the Antarctic fur seals

In 18th and 19th centuries, many people hunted Antarctic fur seals to get their pelts. Find facts about the North Pole here.

The Southern Ocean Facts 10: the seafloor of Southern Ocean

The dense and diverse organisms are spotted on the benthic communities, which inhabit the seafloor of Southern Ocean. The water is also inhabited by the snails, sea cucumbers and mudworms.

facts about the southern ocean

facts about the southern ocean

Do you like reading facts about the Southern Ocean?


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