Near the shore, on the Sea Floor:
There are many creatures that live on the bottom of the sea. The bottom of the sea is called the sea floor.
Near the shore, where the sea and the land meet, you might see crabs lobsters, starfish or even sea urchins. Crabs and lobsters have legs they use to crawl along the sea floor. Starfish and sea urchins use funny kinds of little feet.
Many kinds of shells live on the sea floor too. Have you ever seen a seashell? Was it empty? Did you know that a little sea creature used to live inside that empty shell? These little creatures look like blobs, but they are still real creatures. They live inside the shell as if it
were their house.
There are many, many different kinds of seashells. Four different kinds are the clam, the whelk, the scallop and the limpet. Another shell is called the mouse ear and another is called the moon shell. How do you think the mouse ear and the moon shell got their names?
Near the shore, swimming in the Water:
Swimming in the water near the shore are many other creatures, such as the squid and the jellyfish. Watch out for jellyfish, they can sting!
If you looked under the sea, you might find
an octopus swimming in the water or resting on the sea floor. It likes both places!
Another creature you might find swimming in the water is the sea horse. A sea horse is not really a horse. It is really a fish! A sea horse can rest by holding on to plants with its tail.
Animals that live in the water and on the land can also be seen near the shore. Lots of sea birds come onto the shore to lay their eggs. Penguins, loons, sea gulls, and pelicans are just some of the many, many kinds of birds you might see.
Sea turtles also lay their eggs on the shore, but they spend most of their time in the water. They can swim very far. Some swim hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of miles every year!
A seal is another kind of animal that lives both in the water and up on the shore. If you ever see a seal on shore, it flops up and down in a bumpy kind of way. But in the water, a seal swims very smoothly and very fast!
An animal that looks a little like the seal but is much bigger is walrus. The Walrus has two big tusks it can use to defend itself, it has to. It can also swim very fast.