9 Ways To (Virtually) Explore The Ocean

Celebrate World Ocean Day and discover how technology can help us exploring saltwaters

By Google Arts & Culture

Aerial view of the boat on the Great Barrier Reef (2020) by Phil WarringOriginal Source: Tourism Australia Image Gallery

1) Take a virtual tour of the Great Barrier Reef

The Great Barrier Reef is one of the largest living structures on Earth.

Saunders Reef, Great Barrier Reef, Australia

[Tap and drag to look around the reef]

SS Antilla Shipwreck by Christophe BailhacheUnderwater Earth

2) Explore an underwater museum in 360

Discover how shipwrecks have become part of the marine ecosystems and became the first example of manmade reefs.

Tortugas Shipwreck AdventureNational Park Service

Visit the Tortugas Shipwreck

And discover more underwater street views here.

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Brown crab (Cancer pagurus)State Darwin Museum

3) Explore ocean fauna in 3D

Curious to see a crab up close? No need to grab one from the beach (hint: it might pinch you).

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Aegirocassis - a 480m-year-old marine animalState Darwin Museum

What does an aegirocassis looks like?

Like this. You can explore marine animals in 3D on Google Arts and Culture, without having to take them out of their natural environment.

Mangroves at high tide by Matt Curnock / Ocean Image BankThe Ocean Agency

4) Learn why Mangroves are the most special tree on Earth

Mangroves are the only trees that grows in water, but that's not the only reason why they're special.

Coral reefs and mangroves in Indonesia by Alex Mustard / Ocean Image BankThe Ocean Agency

The ocean guardians

From protecting the coral reefs to nurturing 3/4 of the world's tropical fish, mangroves are essential to protect our ecosystems. How much? Find out here.

"Polarstern" in the sea ice (2019/2019)Federal Ministry of Education and Research

5) What does the bottom of the Arctic Ocean look like?

Since 1982, an international teams of scientists on the ship Polarstern have been investigating the atmosphere, sea ice, and ocean, and the seabed in the polar regions.

Schwarzer Raucher (2019/2019)Federal Ministry of Education and Research

Into the deep.


The OFOBS of the AWI Deep Sea Group explores unknown areas, that no one has ever seen before. From the data captured by the OFOBS, the scientists create high-resolution maps of the seabed, micro-bathymetries.

Sandbar Shark 2 by Shedd Aquarium/Brenna HernandezShedd Aquarium

6) Swim With Sharks in 360 Degrees

Join a virtual expedition to learn about all kinds of sharks and their natural habitats.

The SVII-S camera very close encounter with whale sharks by Christophe BailhacheUnderwater Earth

Behind the scenes

We brought a SVII-S camera in the sharks' natural habitats to make it available online. Curious? Visit them here.

Crazy Corals (2017) by Christophe BailhacheUnderwater Earth

7) Take a 360 tour of the Palmyra Atoll

Deep dive into one of the most pristine underwater environments in the world. 

Medusae - Temperature Increase (2021) by Cristina Tarquini

8) Learn why jellyfish are thriving in warming temperatures

Why are jellyfish populations are booming? What can their increased numbers tell us about our changing climate?

Heartbeat of the Earth: Medusae by Cristina Tarquini

Medusae by Cristina Tarquini

Digital Visual Artist Cristina Tarquini answers these questions in an interactive experiment. Click here to launch the experience.

Visualisation of Vertical Migration at UN HQ: East River View of Siphonophore, SUPERFLEX (2021) by SUPERFLEXART 2030

9) Meet the first marine attendee to UN's General Assembly

In 2021, we brought the first underwater species to the UN General Assembly in New York. Find out more about our collaboration with the United Nations on interspecies communications here.

Not jellyfish.

Often confused with jellyfish, siphonophores are a different, marine organism with the unique characteristic of migrating vertically. 

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