20 magical photos that will make you want to protect our oceans

Matthew WilsonApr 22, 2020, 20:46 IST

An orca.Yuri Smityuk/Getty Images

Beautiful and intriguing photographs of oceans and their sea life remind us why we should be working so hard to protect them.
The oceans are home to bizarre but majestic creatures, such as jellyfish, colorful seahorses, and luminescent squid.
Brian Skerry, a diver and underwater photographer, told Insider, "The choices we make, the decisions we make today, [are] going to determine the future of our species."
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An estimated 80% of the world's oceans remains unexplored, with a diverse range of species yet to be discovered, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

But it's possible we might destroy our oceans before we even discover the extent of life living there. According to a 2016 study by the World Economic Forum, 8 million metric tons of plastic are dumped into the oceans every year, and that number is expected to increase. The oceans are full of distinct creatures from jellyfish and orcas to seals and turtles that have been threatened in recent years by pollution and over-fishing. In fact, humans have already been blamed for ending entire species.

Ahead of Earth Day on April 22, Insider found 20 photos of oceans and their inhabitants that remind us just what we have to lose.

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Oceans and beaches – like this scenic California coast – are threatened by pollution, but people can make a difference, diver Brian Skerry said.

Little Corona Beach, California. IrinaK/Shutterstock

Sea creatures, like this lobster in a traffic cone, try their best to adapt to trash humans have thrown into oceans.

Lobster. Kirsty Andrews/UPY2020

Nearly all species of sea turtles are listed as endangered or threatened.

Green sea turtle. Wild Horizon/Getty Images

One of the ocean's largest predators is the great white shark, seen here swimming among a school of fish.

Great white sharks. Barcroft Media/Getty Images

Among the most versatile creatures beneath the sea, octopuses have natural camouflage so they're able to blend in with the environment around them.

Octopus on the sea floor. Alexis Rosenfeld/Getty Images

The lemon shark gets its name from the yellow hue of its skin.

Tiger sharks. © Anita Kainrath/UPY2020

Unlike stingrays that lie motionless on the sea floor, spotted eagle rays are active swimmers in the world's oceans.

Spotted eagle rays. © Henley Spiers/UPY2020

While they may be called killer whales, orcas are actually one of the largest species of dolphin.

An orca. Yuri Smityuk/Getty Images

Dolphins are among the most social creatures found in the oceans. They usually swim together in a pod that can number a dozen or more.

Dolphins. David McNew/Getty Images

Luminescent sea creatures, like this reef squid, adapt to living in the dark depths of the oceans.

Reef squid at night. © Enrico Somogyi/UPY2020

Living in the mangrove forests and sea grass beds near the ocean floor, seahorses are known for their unique shapes and colors.

Seahorses. Marcos del Mazo/Getty Images

But the reefs are home to some cuter creatures too, like this inquisitive goby fish.

Goby fish on a coral reef. © Hannes Klostermann/UPY2020

The yellowline arrow crab lives among coral reefs in both the Caribbean and Atlantic Ocean.

Yellowline arrow crab. ullstein bild/Getty Images

There are over 2,000 species of shrimp swimming in the world's oceans.

A troupe of shrimp. Alessandro Rota/Getty Images

Seals glide peacefully around an iceberg in this award-winning photograph.

Ocean creatures, like the clownfish and sea anemone, live together in a delicate balance. Immune to a sea anemone's sting, clownfish live among them.

Clownfish. Stan Wayman/Getty Images

Jewel anemones come in an array of different colors such as green, purple, pink, and orange.

The oceans are home to bizarre but majestic creatures, such as jellyfish, which lack a brain, heart, and even eyes.

Jellyfish. Benjamin Lowy/Getty Images

The ocean is home to some of the world's largest animals, like the humpback whale.

Humpback whales. Auscape/Getty Images

The world is home to stunning beaches and crystal clear waters, like this scene in New Zealand.

Beach in New Zealand. DmitrySerbin/Shutterstock

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