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The Indian Ocean is the third-largest ocean on Earth. It has an average depth of 12,273 ft (3,741 m).
The South China Sea is a strategic body of water bordering Brunei, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, and China.
The Drake Passage is a body of water that lies between South America's Cape Horn and the South Shetland Islands of Antarctica. The passage is named after the 16th-century English explorer and privateer Sir Francis Drake.
The Arctic Ocean, which includes the North Pole region, is the smallest and shallowest of the world's five major oceans. It is mostly covered by sea ice throughout the year, and almost completely in winter.
Effectively an extension of the Indian Ocean, the Persian Gulf, also known as the Arabian Gulf, is located between Iran and the Arabian Peninsula. The body of water is connected to the Gulf of Oman in the east by the Strait of Hormuz.
The Black Sea is a large inland sea situated at the southeastern extremity of Europe. It's bordered by Ukraine, Russia, Georgia, Turkey, Bulgaria, and Romania.
The Bay of Biscay is huge gulf of the northeast Atlantic Ocean lying along the western coast of France. It can reach depths of 15,535 ft (4,735 m).
Cook Strait separates the North and South Islands of New Zealand. Named after James Cook, the first European commander to sail through it, in 1770, the strait is just 14 miles (22 km) at its narrowest point.
The North Sea is more than 600 miles (970 km) long and 360 miles (580 km) wide. It lies between Great Britain, Denmark, Norway, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France.
The Bering Sea, along with the Bering Strait, marks the divide between the two largest landmasses on Earth: Eurasia and the Americas. The sea is named after Vitus Bering, an 18th-century Danish navigator.
The Gulf of Aden is a deepwater gulf of the Indian Ocean. It lies within the territories of three different nations: Djibouti to the east, Somalia to the south, and Yemen to the north. It's one of the world's busiest shipping routes, connecting Europe to Asia and the Middle East.
The Labrador Sea is the northwestern arm of the North Atlantic Ocean, between Labrador, in Canada, and Greenland, an autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark.
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's five oceans. It has an average depth of 11,962 feet (3,646 m).
Sailing through the Indian Ocean is a challenge. Warm temperatures makes the region susceptible to climatic changes like monsoons, tsunamis, and cyclones. Piracy is an inherent problem, and shipwrecks can make navigation hazardous. The deadly blue-ringed octopus is one of the more dangerous marine mammals that patrols its depths.
The largest and deepest of the Earth's five oceans, the Pacific covers about 46% of the planet's water surface and about 32% of its total surface area.
Set in the southeast part of the South China Sea is the aptly named Dangerous Ground—an area characterized by numerous low islands and cays, sunken reefs, and atolls. Several countries have made competing territorial claims over the South China Sea. China in particular has been vigorous in prosecuting its claims, with disputes threatening to spill over into military conflict.
The Tasman Sea is situated between Australia and New Zealand. Locals call it "the ditch."
Regarded as one of the most dangerous stretches of water in the world, the Drake Passage is notorious for its extreme weather conditions, including fierce winds, huge waves, and unpredictable storm patterns. It's also extremely cold, with icebergs presenting an additional hazard to shipping.
Navigating a route through the Arctic Ocean in summer requires extreme caution. Icebergs and ice floes present a constant threat. Surface water temperatures average 28.8°F (−1.8°C), and the presence of dangerous wildlife such as polar bears also add to the risks.
A strategic waterway and for decades a geopolitical hotspot, the Persian Gulf was a battlefield of the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War, in which each side attacked the other's oil tankers (pictured). A third of the world's liquefied natural gas and almost 25% of total global oil consumption passes through the Strait of Hormuz. In 2019, a number of oil tankers were damaged amid increasing tensions between the United States and Iran.
The bay is home to some of the Atlantic Ocean's fiercest weather. Frequent storms, rogue waves, and intense fog have claimed numerous fishing and merchant vessels.
Mariners regard the Cook Strait as one of the most hazardous and unpredictable bodies of water in the world. Intense weather often halts ferry services running across the strait. And funneling winds and strong tides make sailing this dangerous passage of water challenging at the best of times.
The Southern Ocean comprises the southernmost waters below 60 degrees south latitude, and encircles the entire Antarctic continent.
Often described as the cruelest sea, the Southern Ocean is littered with wrecks. Sailors know latitudes from 40 to 70 degrees south of the equator as the "Roaring Forties," "Furious Fifties," and "Shrieking Sixties," due to tempestuous winds and towering waves. And every skipper is aware that the Southern Ocean contains the point on the globe farthest from any land rescue.
Wild storms, foggy winters, and water temperatures that reach an average low of around 43°F (6°C) in winter make the North Sea one of the most dangerous seas in the world. Compounding climatic hazards is the sea's relatively shallow depth, which powers strong currents that often pull in different directions.
The Gulf of Aden is also one of the world's most dangerous piracy hotspots. Pictured is the USS Farragut passing by the smoke from a suspected pirate skiff it disabled in the gulf.
Volatile weather coupled with mountainous waves and freezing temperatures characterize the Bering Sea. It's why crab fishing in these unpredictable waters ranks among the most dangerous jobs on the planet.
Mariners make the most of the brief summer months in this region of the world. In winter, Labrador shows its teeth, with hostile winds, churning waters, and bone-chilling temperatures serving to turn the sea into a belligerent, ice-laden soup.
The Atlantic Ocean is also one of the deadliest bodies of water in the world. It accounts for over one-third (36.4%) of all fatal shipping accidents, according to the Gitnux Marketdata Report 2024. Several dangerous aquatic animals call the Atlantic's frigid waters home, species such as the Portuguese man o' war, a jellyfish-type creature whose sting causes severe pain to humans.
Its high number of natural disasters, including earthquakes, tsunamis, and typhoons, places the Pacific high among the world's deadliest oceans. And lurking underneath its surface are some menacing creatures such as the venomous box jellyfish.
Numerous people have lost their lives attempting to cross the Tasman Sea, which is prone to sudden and powerful storms. In 1998, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race had to be abandoned after severe weather conditions struck the fleet off the coast of south-eastern Australia. Fifty-five sailors were rescued, but six lost their lives.
Sources: (Marine Insight) (American Oceans) (Gitnux) (Ocean Conservancy) (Vox) (Reuters) (The Sydney Morning Herald)
See also: The “Ghost Ship of the Pacific”: unveiling history's most mysterious shipwrecks
The world's seas and oceans are stunning in their visual beauty and in the diversity of marine life they hold. But those same bodies of water can be dangerous and unpredictable. Factors such as extreme weather patterns, high levels of maritime traffic, inadequate safety measures, and armed conflict can turn a peaceful expanse of water into a deadly and life-threatening environment.
So, where on Earth are the most treacherous seas and oceans? Click on and chart a course through this gallery to find out.
Well known for its unpredictable weather patterns, with sudden and violent storms a common occurrence, the Black Sea is currently a battleground of the ongoing war in Ukraine. Pictured in 2023 is a Ukrainian serviceman onboard a boat as it patrols in the northwestern part of the Black Sea.
The most treacherous seas and oceans in the world
Where on Earth are the wildest and most unpredictable bodies of water located?
TRAVEL Water bodies
The world's seas and oceans are stunning in their visual beauty and in the diversity of marine life they hold. But those same bodies of water can be dangerous and unpredictable. Factors such as extreme weather patterns, high levels of maritime traffic, inadequate safety measures, and armed conflict can turn a peaceful expanse of water into a deadly and life-threatening environment.
So, where on Earth are the most treacherous seas and oceans? Click on and chart a course through this gallery to find out.