The Earth is often referred to as the ‘blue planet’ and today’s Word Search pays homage to that beautiful blue – the oceans.
Click start to dive right in and play.
For far too long, human impact on the oceans was left unchecked, as people just assumed it was limitless and able to absorb whatever we fed it – chemicals, untreated waste and plastic. It was only in the 1960s, when marine scientists discovered humpback whales on the brink of extinction, that conservation efforts began in the US.
No doubt, there’s a lot to protect underwater. And there’s a great deal about it that we still do not know.
According to the US National Ocean Service, more than 80 per cent of the ocean is unmapped, unobserved, and unexplored.
That’s not to say humans haven’t tried. The National Geographic estimates that there are more treasures on the bottom of the ocean than in all the world's museums combined – because of approximately 3 million shipwrecks.
There are other, less tragic tales below the blue, too! Did you know that oceans have huge and incredible mountains, volcanoes, canyons and waterfalls, all hidden underwater?
The Denmark Strait Cataract is an underwater waterfall between Greenland and Iceland, with a drop of 11,500 feet. Compare that to the tallest waterfall on land – Angel Falls in Venezuela – which has a drop of just over 3,200 feet. Then there’s China’s Zhemchung Canyon, in the Bering Sea, which has a vertical relief of 8,520 feet – more than 2,500 feet deeper than the Grand Canyon in the US!
Just the fact that the oceans have so much yet to reveal, is reason enough to take care of it and protect it. With today’s Word Search, look deep as you search for marine terms and identify aquatic animals.
Tell us if you enjoyed the puzzle at games@gulfnews.com.
