The Ocean Map

Discover a new way of seeing our planet with The Ocean Map, a beautifully illustrated book that puts the sea at the centre of the story. Through the eyes of the creatures that call it home, young explorers (like you!) will uncover coral reefs, seagrass meadows, deep-sea trenches and underwater wonders that can’t be found on traditional maps.

Packed with fascinating ocean facts, marine wildlife and educational insights, it’s an inspiring book for kids who love nature, geography and the natural world.

Available to buy from all good bookshops!

Our Ocean Map

Did you know scientists use marine life to map the sea? Oceanographers safely attach cameras to different species to help us understand our changing ocean through the eyes of animals. In 2022, tiger sharks helped map the Bahamas Banks’ seagrass meadows faster, they captured miles of underwater video that couldn’t be achieved by human scuba divers.

Explore the deep depths

The intense pressure in the deep ocean makes it impossible for humans to go there unaided. Remote-operated vehicles allow us to explore more of the ocean floor than ever before!

But did you know 98% of the ocean is in pitch darkness? It is estimated we’ve only seen 0.001% of the deep seafloor. There’s still so much wonder to uncover!

More fun facts? Dive in!

• Sound travels five times faster and much further underwater than in the air.

• Most life in the ocean (around 75%) is thought to use bioluminescence – this means organisms can create their own light, making them glow in the dark!
  
• Some areas of the ocean are more volcanic than others – in the Pacific Ocean, there is an area known as the Ring of Fire. This area contains 75% of all known active volcanoes on Earth!

Enter our competition!

To be in with the chance of winning one of three copies of the brand-new The Ocean Map book, click here!

© National Maritime Museum, Greenwich, London, 2026

Banner illustration © Widyasari Hanaya