Discover the world’s most fascinating aquatic life
Aquatic life under our oceans, lakes, rivers, and streams is amazing! From microscopic zooplankton to the largest animal on earth, the blue whale, underwater life comes in all possible shapes and sizes. With 71% of the earth being covered with water, it is no wonder we are so fascinated with what lies beneath the surface. In fact, scientists estimate that there are nearly 1 million different species of aquatic animals. Freshwater ecosystems are home mainly to fish, invertebrates, and reptiles, whereas the ocean contains a wide array of marine life including fish, mollusks, crustaceans, reptiles, sharks, and marine mammals like whales, dolphins, seals, and manatees.
Sharks

© iStock/Extreme Photographer
Whale Shark

© iStock/Vladoskan
Great White Shark

© Alamy/Fiona Ayerst
Tiger Shark

© Alamy/Nature Picture Library
Mako Shark

© iStock/Howard Chen
Blue Shark

© AdobeStock/G Russel Childress
Great Hammerhead Shark

© Alamy-Christian Zappel
Scalloped Hammerhead

© Alamy/National Geographic Image Collection
Oceanic Whitetip Shark

© Alamy/imageBROKER
Thresher Shark

© iStock-FionaAyerst
Lemon Shark

© iStock/Dimitrios Stefanidis
Sand Tiger Shark

© iStock/HakBak1979
Bull Shark

© iStock-Lindsey Dougherty
Silvertip Shark

© iStock_strmko
Silky Shark

© iStock-June Jacobsen
Whitetip Reef Shark

© AdobeStock-Nikolai Sorokin
Blacktip Reef Shark

© AdobeStock-hakbak
Nurse Shark

© iStock-Nigel Marsh
Wobbegong

© AdobeStock-Magnus
Zebra Shark

© AdobeStock-Marc Henauer
Grey Reef Shark

© Alamy-Steve Woods Photography
Oceanic Blacktip Shark

© iStock-Martin Voeller
Angel Shark
Whales

© AdobeStock-Magnus
Humpback Whale

© Alamy-Biosphoto
Pilot Whale

© Alamy-Nature Picture Library
Bryde’s Whale

© AdobeStock-Sean
Beluga Whale

© Shutterstock-Andrea Izzotti
Beaked Whale

© Alamy-WaterFrame
Sperm Whale

© Alamy-Nature Picture Library
Blue Whale

© Alarmy/Steffen Binke
Minke Whale

© Shutterstock-Tomas Kotouc
Grey Whale

© Alamy/Wildestanimal
Killer Whale (Orca)
Dolphins

© AdobeStock-wildestanimal
Common Dolphin

© Tobias Friedrich
Bottlenose Dolphin

© Alamy-BIOSPHOTO
Pilot Whale

© Shutterstock-Andrea Izzotti
Striped Dolphin

© iStock-stephnea
Spinner Dolphin
Seahorses and Pipefishes

© iStock-atese
Pygmy Seahorse

© Alamy-WaterFrame
Common Seahorse

© Alamy-WaterFrame
Spiny Seahorse

© iStock-Rob Peatling
Weedy Seadragon

© iStock-MadKruben
Leafy Seadragon
Rays

© /mydiveguide/marine-life-detail/rays/giant-pacific-manta
Giant Oceanic Manta Ray
Turtles

© Alamy-National Geographic Creative
Leatherback Turtle

© Shutterstock-Shane Myers Photography
Green Turtle

© iStock-ShaneGross
Loggerhead Turtle

© Shutterstock-Ed Jenkins
Hawksbill Turtle

© Shutterstock-Joost van Uffelen
Olive Ridley Turtle
Freshwater Fishes

© AdobeStock-Composer
Flounder

© iStock-Zocha_K
Sturgeon

© iStock-wrangel
Common Rudd

© iStock-MikeLane45
European Bullhead

© iStock-hadot
European bitterling

© Shutterstock-Aleron Val
Stickleback

© AdobeStock-Alex