This is a guest blog by Elizabeth DiSanto, an oceans intern with Environment America Research & Policy Center
If you love all things ocean but are bummed you can’t get to the beach right now, we have a good fix. Check out the following list of some of our favorite ocean livestreams. These livestreams dive deep into the big blue sea, exploring everything from jellies to coral reefs.
If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to swim with sharks, this livestream is pretty much as close as most will likely ever get. Just 32 miles off the coast of Cape Fear, N.C., this live underwater cam is located under the Frying Pan Tower, which was originally built in the 1960s to alert vessels of the shallow waters close by. The low water makes this area a great habitat for all kinds of marine animals and is a favorite spot for sand tiger sharks.
When you think about the ocean, you might imagine shimmering blue waters, vibrant coral reefs and abundant fish species. The live underwater cam at the Aquarium of the Pacific in Long Beach, Calif., is a great place to see those images in real life. It showcases some of our world’s most breathtaking and biodiverse ocean habitats.
If you’ve ever wanted to go whale watching, look no further. This live cam provides beautiful views of Blackney Pass, B.C. -- one of the major travel routes for Orca whales in British Columbia. Orcas live in these waters throughout the summer and fall and can often be seen swimming, breaching and interacting with one another. This cam also comes with a bonus: The view of Blackney Pass captures the sunrise behind the mountains each morning.
This livestream shows mesmerizing views of the translucent moon jellies, which live in the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans. The iridescent jellies surrounded by the dark waters remind us of the shimmering moon in the night’s sky.
In this live aquatic experience, the West Indian manatee can be spotted swimming with families of fish and feeding on underwater plants through Florida’s bright blue waters. The webcam is located in the Ellie Schiller Homosassa Springs State Park, which acts as a wildlife sanctuary to three permanent resident manatees -- Ariel, Electra and Betsy -- whose injuries prevent them from being released into the wild. The park is also home to a number of other manatees as they heal from injuries before being released. In addition, otherwild manatees use the area as a warm-water sanctuary throughout the winter.