The often lovely line of interesting seaweed, driftwood and things to find left behind by the waves at the top of high tide. Hopefully, not too much plastic.

More lines: browse line, plimsoll line. draw smooth lines. choose the fast line, the coastline paradox

More beaches: surfing breaks, beaches—amazing for play, gastropods, sea jelly—sea star.

Strand line

There are just two countries that are double-landlocked: Liechtenstein and Uzbekistan. Their unusual claim to fame is that not only are they landlocked with no access to the high seas themselves, but they are also surrounded by countries that are themselves landlocked.

Another way to put it is that you have to cross two national boundaries before you can reach water connected to the oceans.

Growing up on the island of Great Britain I somewhat took for granted that with a few hours in most directions and I’d be looking out onto the sea. But that’s not at all the case if you were born in a landlocked country.

Double-landlocked countries

If you were to dig straight down from where you’re standing and pass straight through the centre of the Earth and keep on digging — you’d now be tunnelling up I guess — where you come out would be your antipode. Though most of them would first have you springing a leak at the bottom of the ocean, so be careful.

Antipodes

I’ve never used one, but I’d love to. They seem a little like magic. Basically, you pressurise the air of an underwater box enough to keep the water from coming in. This enables you to have a kind of swimming pool entrance to water even though you’re already actually underwater. So cool.

Moon pool

Not the easiest switch to make but given that jellyfish and starfish are not at all fish there is a move to call them sea jelly and sea star. As long as we all work to help protect them clearly it doesn’t matter a whole lot, but I think the move to sea jellies and sea stars makes good sense alongside others like the sea horse, sea cucumber, sea lion, sea lily, sea gooseberry…well, actually the sea horse is a type of fish, but you get the idea.

Sea jelly, sea star

Ghost fishing is when lost or abandoned fishing gear continues to catch fish. And those who are caught attract larger predators who can also get caught.

Also see Bycatch—other stuff you caught while trying to catch something else.

And quite different from ghost cooking—the art of cooking leaving a sparkling, untouched kitchen.

Nurse shark drawn using How to draw a grey nurse shark.

Sketchplanations tagged with oceans