The Difference Between Sea And Ocean

The difference between sea and ocean lies both in size and proximity to land. An ocean is a vast body of water whereas a sea is a comparatively small and partially confined body of water surrounded by land. For example, the Atlantic Ocean compared to the adjacent Mediterranean Sea.

When it comes to bodies of water, there are two that are often mixed up: oceans and seas. However, the one difference between the two is simple. What sets oceans and seas apart is that seas are partially enclosed by land.

Although colloquially most people use the words “sea” and “ocean” interchangeably, it is important we know what both terms mean accurately. Having said that, it is true that most people refer to seas like the Mediterranean or the Caribbean correctly as “seas”. The most common problem is when they refer to oceans wrongly as seas, for example, when talking about the Atlantic.

A good example in popular culture is the song “Manchester, England” from the Broadway musical (and movie adaptation) “Hair”:

Manchester, England, England

Across the Atlantic Sea

And I’m a genius, genius

I believe in God

And I believe that God

Believes in Claude

That’s me, that’s me

The song refers to the Atlantic as “the Atlantic Sea” instead of the “Atlantic Ocean.”

What Are the Oceans?

Following the difference between seas and oceans, we could say that there is only one ocean, the World Ocean. After all, there is one contiguous body of water that covers 71 percent of our planet.

“You can never cross the ocean until you have the courage to lose sight of the shore.” — Christopher Columbus

But historically this body of water has been divided into different regions, known as oceans. The boundaries of these oceans have changed over time and the current four or five oceans are the results of hundreds of years of historical, cultural, scientific, and geographical evolution.

The main four oceans are:

• The Atlantic Ocean
• The Pacific Ocean
• The Indian Ocean
• The Arctic Ocean

Most countries know also recognized the Southern or Antarctic Ocean. So, for most countries in the world, there are currently five oceans on planet earth.

Each of these five oceans includes several seas, which is where things get complicated.

Let’s now look at the seas in each ocean.

Seas in the Atlantic Ocean

In the Americas‘ portion of the Atlantic Ocean, there are several seas:

These are the seas in Europe, Asia, and Africa portions of the Atlantic Ocean:

“The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever.” — Jacques Yves Cousteau

The Northern Islands are also home to several seas:

• Irminger Sea
• Denmark Strait
• Irish Sea
• Inner Seas of the West Coast of Scotland (Sea of the Hebrides)

Apart from all these oceans, there is also a sea in the Atlantic Ocean that is not defined by its geographical location but by currents. It is the Sargasso Sea (also known as the North Atlantic Gyre).

Seas in the Arctic Ocean

Seas in the Southern Ocean (Antarctic)

Seas in the Indian Ocean

Seas in the Pacific Ocean

“You can’t stop the waves, but you can learn to surf.” — Jon Kabat-Zan

The seas in the Americas portion of the Pacific Ocean are as follows:

• Bering Sea
• Chilean Sea
• Sea of Chiloé
• Gulf of Alaska
• Gulf of California (also known as the Sea of Cortés)
• Mar de Grau
• Salish Sea

The seas in the Asia and Oceania portion of the Pacific Ocean are the following:

To complete the list of seas we would have to also include all the salt lakes that have the word “sea” as part of their names:

• Aral Sea
• Caspian Sea
• Dead Sea
• Salton Sea

And also freshwater lakes that have the word “sea” as part of their names, such as the Sea of Galilee.

Finally, there are all the small fjords, straits, and bays, that would just be too many to name.