The 5 Most Dangerous Oceans
The ocean covers more than 70% of the planet’s surface and it is home to numerous marine animals, such as sharks, whales, dolphins and sea turtles, among others. However, this immense body of water also poses great risks to those who decide to explore it by ship or by swimming in its warm waters. With this in mind, here are the 5 most dangerous oceans of the world
How We Rate Danger on Our List
There are several groups of dangers, from natural phenomena to human causes. Natural ocean hazards include extreme temperatures, deadly predators, earthquakes and tsunamis. Human-caused dangers are pollution, shipwrecks and weather disturbances. In some cases such as oil spills and nuclear leaks, hazards can be attributed to both nature and people. The most dangerous seas vary greatly according to each danger; for example, volcanic eruptions make islands quite perilous while shark attacks are a common risk throughout much of the Pacific Ocean. It’s worth noting that we’ve never been able to come up with a truly accurate list of dangerous oceans—due in part to varying opinions on what constitutes danger—but our list is representative enough given its limitations.
Rank #1 – Arabian Sea
The Arabian Sea is a sea located in Western Asia. To its east, lies South Asia; to its west, southwest and south are India, respectively. It is bounded on half by the southern tips of Arabia, namely Keralaputera and Oman. India’s Lakshadweep Islands protrude into one corner of it.
Rank #2 – Andaman Sea
The Andaman Sea is one of two seas that lie between India and Thailand (the other being the Bay of Bengal). It borders Myanmar, Malaysia, and Thailand, with a number of different states making up its shores. This stretch of water is on average only 20 meters deep. The most dangerous portion of it lies between India’s Nicobar Islands and Sumatra Island in Indonesia. It’s home to some very powerful tropical cyclones.
Rank #3 – North Indian Ocean
This ocean is a triangle, with two points at New Delhi, India and Dhaka, Bangladesh. The other point is on a small triangular peninsula in Sri Lanka. The North Indian Ocean has about 9% of world’s water and some of its deadliest waters are due to pirates operating from Somalia. There are dangers from seasickness, sharks and tsunamis in certain seasons. Some areas where you can go shark cage diving include Mozambique and South Africa. This ocean experiences massive cyclones that are among some of Earth’s most intense storms along with dangerous whirlpools (or rascals) called eddies. These occur where currents meet and clash on opposing trajectories which produces powerful swirls around hundreds of feet wide that can trap boats.
Rank #4 – South China Sea
According to oceanographer Jonathan Shurberg, This is one of world’s deadliest sea areas, because of pirates and high tension between China and South East Asia. This ranking has been increasing in recent years. With access to almost all major Asian ports, Shurberg predicts that it will continue its reign as one of earth’s most dangerous oceans for some time to come. There are a lot of resources [in these areas], so there will be a lot more shipping going on in that area.
Rank #5 – East China Sea
Located between Japan and China, it is among one of the most dangerous areas for marine traffic in all of Asia. The East China Sea is a very important shipping route, with billions of dollars worth of trade being conducted each year through these waters. Unfortunately, however, it has been proven to be quite treacherous during stormy weather conditions. The East China Sea boasts some of the most inclement weather in all of Asia as well as some of its strongest winds. These elements are more than enough to create dangerous situations for sailors who are unfamiliar with navigating these seas. During severe storms and typhoons, waves can reach heights upwards of 10 meters (32 feet) which makes taking shelter an extremely difficult task for those aboard ships that get caught up in such storms.