Southern Ocean, body of salt water covering approximately one-sixteenth of Earth’s total ocean area. The Southern Ocean is made up of the portions of the world ocean south of the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans and their tributary seas surrounding Antarctica below 60° S. It is unbroken by any other continental landmass.

The Southern Ocean is known for its strong winds, intense storms, dramatic seasonal changes, and cold temperatures. These factors create the perfect environment for a wide range of unique flora and fauna, making it a haven for ecotourism enthusiasts.

the Southern Ocean is 4,000 to 5,000-m deep over most of its extent with only limited areas of shallow water; the Antarctic continental shelf is generally narrow and unusually deep, its edge lying at depths of 400 to 800 m (the global mean is 133 m); the Antarctic icepack grows from an average minimum of 2.6 million sq km in March to about 18.8 million sq km in September, better than a sixfold increase in area

The Southern Ocean is notably the coldest of all the ocean bodies. Its frigid waters are often at or below the freezing point, and it’s home to vast expanses of sea ice. The presence of sea ice is dynamic, expanding dramatically during the winter months and receding in the summer.