47 Free Ocean Writing Ideas to Inspire

Ocean Writing Ideas and Prompts— Creative writing about the ocean is awesome. Now, with our new lists — yes three lists — of wonderful ocean writing ideas, you and your students can get all the inspiration you need to write about the ocean. Yes!

You see…

From descriptive writing about the beauty of ocean waves to creative writing ideas about the underside of the water, and some bonus ocean essay ideas, too, there is something here for every writer.

Below you’ll find three wonderful and sweet lists of ocean ideas to ignite your ocean writing.

Perhaps you want to write about observing and savoring the incredible beauty of the ocean or get a bit more serious about the challenges plastic garbage is causing in our world. The topics, angles, and perspectives from which to write about the ocean are waiting for you. Take a look now and enjoy your ocean writing adventures.

Table of Contents

Ocean Writing Ideas and Prompts Can Help You
27 Fabulous Describing the Ocean Writing Ideas
10 Creative Ocean Writing Prompts
10 Wonderful Essay Ocean Writing Prompts
How to Describe the Ocean
Ocean Writing Even If You've Never Seen One
Learning More About Oceans Will Vastly Improve Your Ocean Writing
More Ocean Writing and Related Resources

Ocean Writing Ideas and Prompts Can Help You

Yeppers. Using our list of ocean writing ideas can help you — and writers of all ages and skill levels — improve your ability to create amazing descriptions of oceans.

Furthermore, these ocean prompts can guide any writer to become more skilled at expressing their deepest thoughts and ideas in writing.

Maybe creating a memory of writing in the waves of the ocean will turn out to be therapeutic for you or for your student writers. Plus, you’ll improve your writing skills in the process.

So get to it and use these ocean writing ideas today.

27 Fabulous Describing the Ocean Writing Ideas

I could taste the salt in the air and knew I had to get to the ocean to…
The lapping waves…
The hypnotic motion of the ocean…
Describe the beauty of the ocean and how it makes you feel.
The ebbing tide was…
I was hypnotized by the water because of its…
When I first spotted the sea turtle, I couldn’t believe my eyes.
The wonder of the magnificent ocean made me feel so…
The power of the vast waters made me think of…
I could taste the salt in the air and the pull of the magical waters.
My favorite thing about the ocean is…
The turquoise water and bright orange sky were mesmerizing and…
The stormy skies made the furious water…
The beach looked (inviting, dirty, sandy, rocky…)
Describe a calm sea using very descriptive adjectives and words that evoke a lot of feeling as you write them.
Now describe stormy waters.
Describe choppy water.
The perilous sea made the ocean liner…
The water around a remote island was…
Water teeming with…
The majestic and mystical feel of the water when…
The infinite feel of the water gave me…
The gentle rocking of the boat on the crystalline water…
The ominous sky and gigantic waves made me feel…
The restless waters…
The sullen and gloomy day makes the ocean feel as though…
Oh, how I love the ocean. It makes me feel so…

Use the ocean writing prompts to help get your creative juices flowing. I know they’ll help you describe the ocean in finer, more meaningful detail.

10 Creative Ocean Writing Prompts

Consider trying some of these ocean-themed creative writing prompts:

Write a story about a submarine navigating the bottom of the Mariana Trench to search for deep sea treasure
Write a fiction piece on mermaids living at the very bottom of the ocean
Try a story about a sailor trapped in the middle of the ocean and being stalked by a magical blue whale.
Write a thriller story about a scuba diving adventure gone wrong.
Explore a story where a deep sea diver gets stuck in an underwater cave.
Center a story around a new sea creature as your main character and great white sharks hunting it.
Write a story about life as the smallest ocean organism.
Try your hand at writing a story about a raft mysteriously capsizing during a low tide.
Write a humorous story about an individual getting stung by jellyfish.
Write an adventurous story about a free diver trying to find real-life treasure at the very bottom of the ocean floor.

10 Wonderful Essay Ocean Writing Prompts

Here are some essay writing prompts for writing about oceans. These prompts will help you become better at ocean writing and might even help you improve your writing grades.

Humans are polluting the Earth’s oceans irreparably.
Rising sea levels are the biggest consequence of climate change.
We shouldn’t eat lobsters because they’re highly intelligent creatures.
Pollution is destroying coral reefs.
Current knowledge and technology aren’t sufficient for ocean cleanups. We need innovation.
Governments should enforce measures to prevent people from collecting seashells.
Land reclamation by pouring sand over the ocean surface is damaging to the environment.
How can individuals protect the oceans?
The deepest depths of the ocean are more intriguing than space exploration.
Building beachfront vacation resorts affect wildlife habitats.

How to Describe the Ocean

Yes, you can create an amazing description of the ocean. You see…

Writing accurate and creative descriptions is important, particularly in creative writing. You want to show and not tell the reader about the plot’s scenery.

As a result, you’ll need to hone your writing skills to describe oceans properly.

Try this:

Start your description with ocean waves. Explain how the ocean waves rock the character’s vessel while they’re traversing the ocean. You can use imagery to describe how the ocean transforms from tranquil to threatening, like in real life during storms and high tides.

Oceans also have a very distinct smell. Consider incorporating that element into your writing by focusing on characters smelling the ocean’s saltiness in the air.

Ocean Writing Even If You’ve Never Seen One

Some students may never have seen the ocean before, so describing oceans can be challenging, particularly for younger writers.

If someone has never seen or been to the ocean, they may struggle to describe it accurately in their writing. Yet, that doesn’t mean they can’t learn more about it.

Now…

Maybe you’ve learned about oceans in your science or geography lessons. If so, consider sourcing knowledge from those lessons to inform your writing.

Additionally, the internet is also a helpful resource when writing about oceans and below there are some great resources we found for you about ocean writing. Plus, you can get fun facts about oceans through a quick Google search.

Learning More About Oceans Will Vastly Improve Your Ocean Writing

You might wonder, what does researching fun facts and data about the ocean have to do with writing about oceans accurately? Considering the importance of water to human life, it is very helpful to know how to write about oceans and other water sources accurately in your writing.

Whether writing a creative piece or a persuasive essay, you should know how to describe oceans and water sources.

Oceans are also a magnificent part of nature. They’re home to unique wildlife. Ocean animals, like sharks, dolphins, crabs, whales, and seahorses capture kids’ imaginations every time. Humans also use the ocean for traveling, leisurely activities, and even some unpleasant things, such as waste disposal.

In addition, you’ll find some fictional pieces that beautifully incorporate the ocean into the story – sometimes as a character – like Ernest Hemingway’s critically acclaimed novel, The Old Man and the Sea.

There are endless ways to write about the ocean and doing so will help you improve your ocean writing skills.

More Ocean Writing and Related Resources

Hopefully, our numerous prompts, tips, and suggestions will help you become a better “ocean” writer. I also offer loads of resources to help you improve your personal journaling, and writing for essays or assignments. Be sure to explore my blog for more information!