What are ocean waves?

Ocean waves are ripples on the water that move across the sea like a line of dancers passing a baton.

Imagine you're in a bathtub. When you jump in and splash around, the water moves up and down, that’s just like how ocean waves work, but much bigger!

Waves start when something pushes the water, like wind or an earthquake under the sea. The wind is like your hand moving across the surface of the water in the bathtub, it makes the water move and creates a wave.

Once a wave starts, it keeps going because the water behind it helps push it forward. It’s like when you’re on a swing: you go up, then down, and keep swinging because of the motion. Ocean waves do something similar, they rise and fall as they move toward the shore.

When the wave gets close to the beach, it slows down and grows taller, just like how your splash in the bathtub might make a bigger ripple when it hits the side!