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List of seas on Earth

Adapted from Wikipedia · Adventurer experience

A stunning view of Earth from space, taken by astronauts aboard the Apollo 17 mission.

Seas are parts of the world's big waters, called the World Ocean. They can be smaller oceans, gulfs, bights, bays, and straits. Sometimes, it’s just tradition that decides if a place is called a sea or something else, like a bay. This list includes all these different kinds of water areas that are parts of the World Ocean. It does not include places called “seas” that are not really part of the big ocean, like some lakes or other water areas. Also, it doesn’t include ocean gyres, which are big circles that oceans make.

Terminology

An ocean is a very big body of water in the world Ocean, and all oceans have the word "ocean" in their name. A sea can be part of an ocean, separated by land or currents (like the Sargasso Sea). It can also be partly enclosed by islands or peninsulas and next to the open ocean. Sometimes the whole World Ocean is also called “the sea.”

Other water terms include:

  • River: a narrow strip of water that flows over land.
  • Tributary: a smaller river that flows into a larger one.
  • Estuary: the part of a river that flows into the sea or ocean.
  • Strait: a narrow area of water connecting two wider areas of water.
  • Channel: usually wider than a strait.
  • Canal: a channel made by humans.
  • Fjard: a large open area of water between groups of islands.

There are also terms for parts of the ocean that push in between land areas. These include:

  • Bay: a part of the ocean or sea that is smaller than a gulf.
  • Gulf: a very large bay, often part of an ocean or sea.
  • Fjord: a long bay with steep sides, usually formed by a glacier.
  • Bight: a bay that is usually shallower.
  • Sound: a large, wide bay that is usually deeper.
  • Cove: a small, sheltered bay with a narrow entrance.
  • Inlet: a narrow, long bay connected to the sea.
  • Polynya: a patch of water surrounded by ice.

Many areas of water could fit more than one of these descriptions, and the terms are used in different ways in place names. This list includes large bodies of water no matter what they are called.

Largest seas by area

The largest seas on Earth, listed from biggest to smallest, are shown here. These are parts of the world's oceans that have special names.

  1. Philippine Sea – 5.695 million km2
  2. Coral Sea – 4.791 million km2
  3. American Mediterranean Sea – 4.200 million km2
  4. Arabian Sea – 3.862 million km2
  5. Sargasso Sea – 3.5 million km2
  6. South China Sea – 3.5 million km2
  7. Weddell Sea – 2.8 million km2
  8. Caribbean Sea – 2.754 million km2
  9. Mediterranean Sea – 2.510 million km2
  10. Gulf of Guinea – 2.35 million km2
  11. Tasman Sea – 2.3 million km2
  12. Bay of Bengal – 2.172 million km2
  13. Bering Sea – 2 million km2
  14. Sea of Okhotsk – 1.583 million km2
  15. Gulf of Mexico – 1.550 million km2
  16. Gulf of Alaska – 1.533 million km2
  17. Barents Sea – 1.4 million km2
  18. Norwegian Sea – 1.383 million km2
  19. East China Sea – 1.249 million km2
  20. Hudson Bay – 1.23 million km2
  21. Greenland Sea – 1.205 million km2
  22. Somov Sea – 1.15 million km2
  23. Mar de Grau – 1.14 million km2
  24. Riiser-Larsen Sea – 1.138 million km2
  25. Sea of Japan – 1.05 million km2
  26. Argentine Sea – 1 million km2
  27. East Siberian Sea – 987,000 km2
  28. Lazarev Sea – 929,000 km2
  29. Kara Sea – 926,000 km2
  30. Scotia Sea – 900,000 km2
  31. Labrador Sea – 841,000 km2
  32. Andaman Sea – 797,700 km2
  33. Laccadive Sea – 786,000 km2
  34. Irminger Sea – 780,000 km2
  35. Solomon Sea – 720,000 km2
  36. Mozambique Channel – 700,000 km2
  37. Cosmonauts Sea – 699,000 km2
  38. Baffin Bay – 689,000 km2
  39. Laptev Sea – 662,000 km2
  40. Arafura Sea – 650,000 km2
  41. Ross Sea – 637,000 km2
  42. Chukchi Sea – 620,000 km2
  43. Timor Sea – 610,000 km2
  44. North Sea – 575,000 km2
  45. Bellingshausen Sea – 487,000 km2
  46. Beaufort Sea – 476,000 km2
  47. Celebes Sea – 472,000 km2
  48. Banda Sea – 470,000 km2
  49. Red Sea – 438,000 km2
  50. Black Sea – 436,000 km2
  51. Gulf of Aden – 410,000 km2
  52. Yellow Sea – 380,000 km2
  53. Baltic Sea – 377,000 km2
  54. Caspian Sea – 371,000 km2
  55. Libyan Sea – 350,000 km2
  56. Mawson Sea – 333,000 km2
  57. Levantine Sea – 320,000 km2
  58. Java Sea – 320,000 km2
  59. Gulf of Thailand – 304,000 km2
  60. Celtic Sea – 300,000 km2
  61. Gulf of Carpentaria – 300,000 km2
  62. Tyrrhenian Sea – 275,000 km2
  63. Sulu Sea – 260,000 km2
  64. Cooperation Sea – 258,000 km2
  65. Persian Gulf – 251,000 km2
  66. Gulf of St. Lawrence – 226,000 km2
  67. Bay of Biscay – 223,000 km2
  68. Aegean Sea – 214,000 km2
  69. Gulf of Anadyr – 200,000 km2
  70. Molucca Sea – 200,000 km2
  71. Oman Sea – 181,000 km2
  72. Ionian Sea – 169,000 km2
  73. Gulf of California – 160,000 km2
  74. Balearic Sea – 150,000 km2
  75. Adriatic Sea – 138,000 km2
  76. Flores Sea – 121,000 km2

Marginal seas by ocean

Seas can be found between oceans and land, or between two oceans. They are named based on tradition.

The Norwegian Sea

Arctic Ocean

Arctic Ocean

(clockwise from 180°)

Atlantic Ocean

The Aegean, Adriatic, Ionian, and Tyrrhenian are all marginal seas within the Mediterranean Sea.

Atlantic Ocean

In addition to the marginal seas listed in the three subsections below, the Arctic Ocean is sometimes considered a marginal sea of the Atlantic.

Africa and Eurasia

Americas

(coast-wise from north to south)

The Irish Sea

Northern islands

(from east to west)

Indian Ocean

Indian Ocean

The Arabian Sea as a marginal sea of the Indian Ocean.

Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean

Americas

Australia and Eurasia

Southern Ocean

Southern Ocean

Defined by ocean currents

Most seas touch land, but one sea is made only by ocean currents. This is the Sargasso Sea. It is held together by four currents that form the North Atlantic Gyre.

Not included

This list does not include bodies of water called "seas" that are not part of the World Ocean. It leaves out several types of water areas. These include salt lakes and freshwater lakes that have "sea" in their names, like the Aral Sea, Dead Sea, Caspian Sea, Salton Sea, and the Sea of Galilee. It also does not include ocean areas called gyres or seas found in stories, old beliefs, or religious texts.

Images

Map showing the location of the Coral Sea and surrounding areas.
A stunning view of Earth from space, showing our beautiful planet as seen from the NASA satellite.
Water flowing from a tap – clean and refreshing drinking water!

Related articles

Kara Sea
Timor Sea
Gulf of California
Philippine Sea
Arabian Sea
South China Sea

This article is a child-friendly adaptation of the Wikipedia article on List of seas on Earth, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

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