23 Interesting Pacific Ocean Facts You Might Not Know! (Printable)

The Pacific Ocean is really big and beautiful, stretching out as far as you can see. It’s full of life, with all sorts of interesting creatures and amazing sights. From clear waters to deep parts, we don’t know much about, there’s a lot to discover.

We’re going on a journey to explore the Pacific Ocean. We’ll see colorful coral reefs and mysterious deep parts of the sea.

There’s something cool for everyone to enjoy. So, put on your snorkel gear, and let’s get ready to learn some awesome Pacific Ocean Facts. You’re in for a real treat!

The Pacific Ocean Is Full of Wonders.

The Pacific Ocean spans from China to the United States:

The Pacific Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth, covering an area of approximately sixty million square miles and a depth of 13,000 ft. It covers 30% of the planet Earth and holds twice the amount of water as the Atlantic Ocean.

The ocean borders several countries, including Australia, the East Coast of the Americas, China, and Russia.

The Mariana Trench, Earth’s deepest, is in the Pacific:

The Marina trench is situated in the western part of the Pacific Ocean. It is approximately 124 miles east of the Marina Islands.

The maximum depth explored to date is around 36,000 ft., and the name of the Challenger Deep knows it. The temperature is below 0 degrees Celsius, and it is pitch dark. It is completely impossible for any life to survive here in extreme conditions.

The Tallest Mountain On Earth Is Located In The Pacific Ocean:

Mauna Kea is an inactive volcano located in the Hawaiian region. However, we know that Mount Everest is the highest mountain peak, with a height of 29,029 feet from the base to the peak.

At the same time, Mount Kea’s height is 33,500 feet from the base to its peak. Mount Everest is considered the tallest because a greater part of Mount Kea is below sea level, whereas Mount Everest stands above sea level.

5 Times Longer Than The Diameter Of The Moon:

The Pacific Ocean’s wide span extends from Columbia to Indonesia, covering 19,800 km. This is approximately five times longer than the diameter of the Moon and twice its circumference.

The Majority Of Islands Found In The Pacific Ocean:

The majority of Earth’s islands are found in the Pacific Ocean, which is home to 25,000 islands. However, this number decreased to 20,000 due to seismic activity and tides.

Humans Are Believed To have crossed the Pacific Ocean Around 3000 BC:

Though the Pacific was founded in 1521 and officially got its name, people are believed to travel across the Pacific Ocean from time immemorial.

Historians have found evidence of some communities using canoes in the water around the Taiwan region as maritime trade developed.

Archaeologists have also provided information that people used to migrate close to the Bering Strait around 30,000 to 16,000 years ago.

The Great Barrier Reef – The World’s Longest Reef Is Found Here:

The world’s largest end-extended coral reef, the Great Barrier Reef, is located in the Pacific Ocean. The beauty of the Great Barrier Reef is just breathtaking beauty. The Great Barrier Reef lies right on the northeastern coast of Australia. 

The most extensive and largest coral reef in the world, the Great Barrier Reef, extends over 1429 miles. In 1981, UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site.

The Great Barrier Reef has approximately 2,500 coral reefs, with around 400 types of coral. The reef is home to 4,500 types of mollusks and 1,500 kinds of fish.

Krakatoa Is Situated In The Pacific Ocean:

Krakatoa volcano erupted in 1833. The island of Krakatoa is situated between Java and Sumatra. This is regarded as one of the most destructive volcanic eruptions in world history.

Almost 70 percent of the islands encircling the archipelago were destroyed. The eruption’s aftermath caused a huge mass of rock and earth to collapse, forming a caldera. 

The Pacific Ocean Houses The Great Pacific Garbage Patch:

The Great Pacific Garbage Patch refers to the largest accumulation of floating debris in the Pacific Ocean’s western regions. One such large garbage patch is found in the middle of the coasts of California and Hawaii.

Only 20% Of The Earth’s Oceans Have Been Explored To Date:

Humans have successfully explored only 20% of the oceans on Earth, of which most of the Pacific Ocean is still a great mystery.

A small percentage of the oceans have been explored because of their vast water masses and great depths. Also, some areas of the Pacific Ocean are considered to be treacherous, and exploring oceans requires a huge cost.

House Of The White Shark Cafe:

The mid-Pacific region is quite remote, making it the best-desired location for the white sharks loitering during spring and winter.

The Well-Known Ring Of Fire Is Located In The Pacific Ocean:

There are several volcanoes found in the Pacific Ocean. All these volcanoes, when lined up, form a crescent-shaped ring around the ocean basin.

From this, the name the Ring of Fire was coined. The area around the Ring of Fire is prone to high seismic activities. Tsunamis occur due to ocean and tectonic plate movements.

The two major gyres of Earth are in the Pacific:

Ocean currents are referred to as Gyres. Gyres are formed because of the rotation and position of continents.

Gyres’ main duty is to redistribute the sun’s essential nutrients and heat across all the oceans on Earth, providing the source of life to marine plants and animals. 

The two Gyres that take place in the Pacific basin are the North Pacific Gyre circulating above the Equator and the other one is the South Pacific Gyre sweeping heaps of deposits floating on the ocean basin and taking them to deposit on some specific areas, forming the Garbage Patch.

The Ocean Basin Of The Pacific Is Home To Several Endangered Species:

Marvelous mammals like sea otters, lions, whales, and turtles live in the Pacific Basin. Biologists and scientific researchers are worried about the future of these mammals due to increasing shipping activities taking place in the ocean basin. They are also concerned about the plastic pollution happening in the ocean basin.

The Pacific Ocean Is Known To Be The Graveyard Of Satellites And Rockets:

The southern part of the Pacific Ocean is the remotest location on the planet Earth. It is farthest from any landmasses.

This ocean part is known as the Oceanic Pole Of Inaccessibility or Point Nemo. Since it is so far away from landmasses, the closest one is 2685km away, making the place a Space Cemetery, where several space agencies crash their retired satellites and rockets.

Discovery Of Lengths Of The Japan Trench And Aleutian Trench

Around 1870, the warship USS Tuscarora was converted to a survey ship. USS Tuscarora was used to take soundings of the Pacific Ocean surface. It successfully discovered the depths of the Japan Trench and the Aleutian Trench.

The First Person To Reach The Challenger Deep All Alone:

Hollywood film director James Cameron was the first to reach the Challenger Deep, the deepest point on planet Earth, on 26th March 2012 known as a vertical torpedo.

Though this area of the ocean basin is the most desolate, he found deposits of plastic wrappers and plastic bags deep inside the ocean floor.

The Pacific Basin holds more artifacts than all museums combined:

A huge number of artifacts of historical importance are bound in the Pacific Ocean than most museums together have it. This large and extended ocean has witnessed numerous airplanes and shipwrecks. Also, remnants from space missions are found in the ocean bed.

Planet Earth Receives The Maximum Oxygen From The Oceans:

Several scientific research studies have proved over time that around 50 to 80 % of planet Earth’s oxygen comes from oceanic plankton.

Prochlorococcus is one notable organism. It produces almost 20 percent of the oxygen on our planet. The Pacific Ocean is home to many such oceanic plankton.

The Pacific Is Rich In Natural Resources:

The ocean’s coasts are rich in natural gas and petroleum, which are mostly abundant in Australia and New Zealand.

These natural resources are extracted in shallow waters, i.e., near the continental shelves. Pearls are found in the Philippines, Australia, Papua New Guinea, Nicaragua, Japan, and Panama.

The first person to dive into the Mariana Trench:

In 1960, Jacques Piccard and Don Walsh were the first humans to explore the bottom of the ocean surface of the Marina Trench. Jacques Piccard was the son of the famous vessel designer Auguste Piccard.

The Pacific Ocean Meets The Antarctic Ocean

At Cape Horn, Chile, the Pacific Ocean meets the Antarctic Ocean.  Both oceans actually mix at Cape horn. Researchers have also found that a few of the Pacific Ocean and North Atlantic currents are fully synchronized.

The Pacific Ocean Is Shrinking

Every year, the Pacific Ocean shrinks almost by an inch due to ocean plate and tectonic plate movements. This phenomenon occurs on all three sides of the ocean basin.

At the end of this article, we learned 23 amazing facts about the Pacific Ocean. These facts have given a much clearer picture of the Pacific Ocean. To know more about such fascinating facts, visit our website.