Into the Deep

You’re gliding deep underwater. It’s dark—very dark. You are more than 3,000 feet below the surface of the ocean, in the midnight zone. Down here, it’s too deep for sunlight to reach. 

Luckily, you’re made for darkness. You are a lanternfish, named after the blue-green lights that glow on your body. You’re about the size of a human finger, with big eyes that help you peer through the blackness.

A bright, dazzling light is floating ahead. You swim closer and closer . . . 

Suddenly, you see a flash of ghostly pale eyes. Wrinkly skin. Long, spiky teeth.

Aaaah! It’s an anglerfish! This terrifying creature has a bony rod like a fishing pole sticking out of its head. At the tip of the rod is a small, glowing light. It helps the anglerfish attract other fish to eat—like you! 

Chomp! You swim away before the anglerfish grabs you. But there are many more dangers lurking in the darkness. Next time, you might not be so lucky.

You’re swimming deep underwater. It’s dark. Very dark. You are more than 3,000 feet deep in the ocean. You’re in a place called the midnight zone. Down here, it’s too deep for sunlight to reach. 

Luckily, you’re made for darkness. You are a lanternfish. You’re named after the blue-green lights that glow on your body. You’re about the size of a human finger. You have big eyes that help you look through the blackness.

A bright, sparkling light is floating ahead. You swim closer and closer . . . 

Suddenly, you see two white pale eyes, wrinkly skin, and long, spiky teeth.

This is an anglerfish. It’s terrifying! It has a bony rod (that looks like a fishing pole) sticking out of its head. At the tip of the rod is a small glowing light. It helps the anglerfish draw in other fish to eat—like you! 

Chomp! You swim away just in time. But there are many more dangers hiding in the darkness. Next time, you might not be so lucky. 

The midnight zone is one of the harshest places on Earth. The water is freezing cold. The weight of the ocean above is crushing. Humans cannot survive down here without special equipment. Plants cannot grow. 

It was once thought that animals could not live here either. But with the help of special robots, scientists have discovered that the deep sea is home to thousands of strange, fascinating creatures—including you!

All around, you see lights twinkling in the darkness. About 90 percent of deep-sea animals make their own light. Some creatures, like the anglerfish, use their light to attract other fish to eat. Others, like that tiny shrimp over there, use light to avoid enemies! 

The shrimp is being chased by a viperfish. But before the fierce creature can attack, the shrimp burps out a cloud of glowing blue light. The viperfish gets distracted by the light, and poof! The shrimp disappears into the darkness. 

The midnight zone is one of the most intense places on Earth. The water is freezing cold. The weight of the ocean above can crush you. Humans cannot survive down here without special tools. Plants cannot grow.

People once thought that animals could not live here either. But scientists have used special robots to find thousands of strange, amazing creatures here in the deep sea­­­—including you! 

All around, you see lights shining in the darkness. About 90 percent of deep-sea animals make their own light. Some creatures, like the anglerfish, use their light to find other fish to eat. Others, like that tiny shrimp over there, use light to hide from enemies!

The shrimp is being chased by a viperfish. But before the scary creature can attack, the shrimp burps out a cloud of glowing blue light. The viperfish gets distracted by the light, and poof! The shrimp disappears into the darkness.  

Small fish like you don’t have any luck hunting in the deep sea. So when night falls, you swim up toward the surface of the ocean to find food. Thousands of other deep-sea creatures make a similar journey each night. 

As you swim higher and higher, the water warms. The crushing weight lifts. Beams of moonlight slice through the darkness. And more signs of life appear. 

Here, near the ocean’s surface, sunlight shines through the water during the day. This helps plants grow, which gives fish and other animals plenty of food. You spot your favorite thing to eat: tiny bug-like creatures called zooplankton. Yum! 

When daylight starts to enter the water, you know it’s time to head home. You don’t want to be seen by a hungry shark! You dive back down for another day in the mysterious underwater world that you call home. 

Small fish like you don’t have any luck hunting in the deep sea. So when night falls, you swim up toward the surface of the ocean to find food. Thousands of other deep-sea creatures make a similar journey each night. 

As you swim higher and higher, the water gets warmer. The crushing weight lifts. Beams of moonlight slice through the darkness. And more signs of life appear.  

Here, near the ocean’s surface, sunlight shines through the water during the day. This helps plants grow, which gives fish and other animals plenty of food. You see your favorite thing to eat: tiny bug-like creatures called zooplankton. Yum! 

As daylight starts to enter the water, you know it’s time to head home. You don’t want to be seen by a hungry shark! You dive back down for another day in the mysterious underwater world that you call home.