THE LIFE AQUATIC
Animal expert Jess French gives us the lowdown on our incredible oceans and the creatures that live in them
LAND covers just 29% of our planet, the rest is covered by water. Seen from space, our ocean planet looks blue.
Some of our most amazing creatures live under the sea and it’s these that CBeebies presenter and animal expert Jess French features in her latest book, Earth’s Incredible Oceans.
Why did you choose to write about the sea, Jess?
Oceans are really important – they cover 71% of the planet and without them, we wouldn’t exist! They are also full of absolutely incredible animals, which I wanted to share with my readers.
Do you have a favourite sea creature?
Ooh, that’s a tricky one! At a push I would say either the majestic blue whale or the brilliantly camouflaged tasselled wobbegong.
Have you been swimming in any of the oceans in your book?
Yes! I have been lucky enough to visit some of the environments I have written about but not many.
Have you seen any of the animals in your book in real life?
Yes, one of my favourite ocean experiences was watching sperm whales from a boat in New Zealand.
Is there an underwater animal you’d love to see that you haven’t seen?
I would love to see an octopus. They are fascinating, aren’t they? It would be really amazing to see some of the bizarre animals that live down in the midnight zone as well.
If we don’t buy plastic, can we all help save the oceans?
Definitely! Lots of our plastic waste ends up in the ocean, where it kills animals and destroys ecosystems. By cutting down the amount of plastic we use, we can reduce the amount of harmful plastic that finds its way into the water.