Oceans - KS2

PATRICK: I never knew how amazing oceans were until I went to the seaside with my friend Omi. She really loves oceans.

OMI: You've got to see for yourself. Put these on.

The ocean’s packed with life. So it's really important that we look after it.

There are tonnes of different fish, plus mammals and other creatures like crabs and worms.

Some are so tiny, you can barely even see them. And there's the largest mammal alive, the blue whale.

In some places, oceans are so deep that there are parts that have never been explored, and creatures that have never been discovered.

PATRICK: Ahh! Can we go back up now?

Ah, this is much better.

OMI: People travel on seas and oceans every day.

Some people do it for sport. Some do it for work.

Some people even travel with their cars.

Look! You can park your car on a ferry and it will take you from one place to another.

PATRICK: They must be the biggest boats in the world.

OMI: Not nearly – look over there.

PATRICK: What's that?

OMI: A container ship. They take toys, cars, computers, all sorts of stuff from one country to another.

They’re so big that each one of the little boxes on its back is actually the size of a lorry.

PATRICK: But if one ship’s that big, how big are the oceans themselves?

OMI: So big and so powerful!

They cover more than two thirds of the whole world!

PATRICK: You're right Omi. Oceans are truly amazing.

OMI: Yes, and what's even better is that's where the narwhals live. I really, really love narwhals!

Narrator: The five oceans on Earth play a huge part in keeping our planet healthy.

They produce half of the world's oxygen and absorb half of all man-made carbon dioxide. The waters are constantly moving around in patterns called currents, which cycle water from one place to another, over and over again.

This is important in regulating the Earths climate and weather. But water doesn't move around just in the oceans. It also moves around through the air. The sun heats up the water in the oceans, rivers, lakes and seas, turning it into tiny droplets called water vapour.

These tiny water vapour droplets rise into the air and gather together to from clouds. The rain that falls on land, washes into the lakes and rivers. Which eventually makes its way back to the sea. This happens over and over which is why it's called the water cycle.

The oceans are home to millions of species, with more being discovered every day. But our actions are putting the health of our oceans at risk. Air pollution and poisonous waste from things like pesticides, sewage, plastics and metals, end up in the oceans and coastal waters.

With the oceans doing so much for our planet and billions of people rely on them for food and jobs, we need to return the favour and do some thing for our oceans.

NARRATOR:

Off the coast of west Wales, the warm sea brings in huge groups of small fish called shoals, which is dinner for one of the cleverest animals on Earth.

Dolphins.

They live in family groups called pods, which can sometimes include as many as 50 individuals.

Dolphins hunt fish, like this shoal of sardines, by working together as a team.

They swallow the fish whole, head-first, so that the spines don't get caught in their throats.

Dolphins are highly social creatures with their own individual personalities. They feel many different emotions, just like we do. And have very advanced ways of communicating with each other.

This pod of bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan Bay is made up of mothers and their young.

Dolphins are mammals like us, and usually give birth to a single baby. The youngsters called calves, will stay with their mothers for several years to learn how to catch fish.

The group are constantly chatting to one another by using very high pitch whistles, clicks and squeaks.

We started learning about the ways dolphins communicate with each other back in the 1960s. Scientists worked with dolphins in tanks on separate sides of a lab, and linked them up with microphones.

They would then listen to all the complex conversations the dolphins were having, through these different clicks and whistles.

But over 60 years on, we still haven't cracked the code of dolphin language.

So, for the most part, we know very little about what all these clicks and whistles actually mean.

One person trying to understand more about dolphin communication, is marine biologist, Dr Sarah Perry, from the Cardigan Bay Marine Wildlife Centre.

Sarah, along with many other scientists, has noticed that every dolphin has its own whistle, which they use as their names.

DR SARAH PERRY:

Bottlenose dolphins all have their own unique signature whistles. So it's essentially like them calling their own name, so that they can let those around them know who's here. So it would be like me shouting out my name, "Hi, Sarah. I'm Sarah. I'm Sarah. I'm here."

NARRATOR:

Incredibly, scientists like Sarah are learning that this pod of bottlenose dolphins in Cardigan Bay talk to each other at a higher pitch than any other group of dolphins anywhere in the world.

It's like they're speaking with their own Welsh accent.

So, even though they might look very different, dolphins are actually quite a lot like us. Which is why they love to interact with humans.

Sometimes they turn up when you're least expecting them. They're one of the few animals that play into adulthood.

So, next time you're by the sea, remember, beneath the surface, you can find extraordinary creatures, who, just like us, chat to one another, teach each other things, play and even dream when they fall asleep.