A New Ocean? Scientists Make Shocking Discovery

The Southern Ocean is the body of water that wraps around the bottom of the earth, the South Pole, and the continent of Antarctica. Cartographers have known about these waters for centuries, but since National Geographic began making maps in 1915, they never distinguished it as an official world ocean. But why?

“The Southern Ocean has long been recognized by scientists, but because there was never agreement internationally, we never officially recognized it,” NationalGeographic Society Geographer Alex Tait said.

So, what’s the Southern Ocean like?

“Anyone who has been there will struggle to explain what's so mesmerizing about it, but they'll all agree that the glaciers are bluer, the air colder, the mountains more intimidating, and the landscapes more captivating than anywhere else you can go,” Seth Sykora-Bodie, a marine scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a National Geographic Explorer, said.

And this ocean is different than all the rest for a couple reasons. As National Geographic Explorer at Large (yes, that’s a real title), Sylvia Earle, said:

“Rimmed by the formidably swift Antarctic Circumpolar Current, it is the only ocean to touch three others and to completely embrace a continent rather than being embraced by them.” 

Now, the question is: Does this new, fifth ocean have surf?

Maybe calving glacier waves…