Myth vs. Tide: 7 Things People Get Wrong About the Sea
Arthur here. Monocle polished. Bow tie squared.
The ocean doesn’t just move water. It moves stories. Some are true, some are repeated, and some are the kind of nonsense that gets people hurt because it sounds confident.
So today we’re doing a gentle cleanup of the sea’s rumor mill: seven myths, what’s actually happening, and what to do instead.
1) Myth: “Tides are caused by wind.”
Reality: Wind makes waves. Tides are driven mainly by the gravity of the moon and the sun. Tides are long-period waves that roll through the ocean and show up on shore as the regular rise and fall of sea level. (NOAA Ocean Service)
What to do instead: If you want to predict water level changes for beachcombing, fishing, or boating, check tide charts. If you want to predict surf conditions, check wind + swell forecasts.
2) Myth: “Rip currents pull you under.”
Reality: Rip currents are narrow streams of fast-moving water that flow away from shore. They don’t drag you under like a sea monster with a grudge; they drag you out, which is scary enough. NOAA’s safety guidance is consistent: don’t fight the current, and if you can, swim parallel to shore to exit the narrow channel. (NOAA Ocean Service; NOAA DYW: Rip Currents)
What to do instead: Relax, float, signal for help, then move parallel. Rip currents are often relatively narrow. (NOAA)
3) Myth: “If the water looks calm, it’s safe.”
Reality: A rip current can look like a calm gap between breaking waves, a darker channel, or a line of foam and debris moving seaward. “Calm” can be the trapdoor. (NOAA/NHC Rip Current Overview)
What to do instead: Scan for breaks in wave patterns, odd color channels, or foam drifting out. Swim near lifeguards when possible. (NOAA/NHC)
4) Myth: “The ocean is blue because it reflects the sky.”
Reality: The ocean is blue mainly because water absorbs red light and leaves more blue wavelengths to scatter back to our eyes. The ocean can also look green or brown depending on sediments, plankton, and particles. (NOAA Ocean Service)
Pocket fact: Most of the ocean is dark. NOAA notes that little light penetrates deeper than about 200 meters, and none penetrates deeper than about 1,000 meters. (NOAA)
5) Myth: “Rivers aren’t salty, so the ocean should eventually ‘dilute’ and get less salty.”
Reality: Rivers carry dissolved minerals from rock weathering into the sea. The ocean collects salts from many sources, and NOAA notes the system is close to balanced: salt inputs are offset by removal processes over long time scales. (NOAA Ocean Service; USGS)
What to do instead: When you see “the ocean is salty because…,” look for explanations that include both inputs (rivers/rock weathering) and outputs (sediments, mineral formation, biological uptake). (NOAA)
6) Myth: “Sharks can smell a single drop of blood from miles away, so any blood means instant danger.”
Reality: Sharks have impressive senses, but the “miles away” claim is widely exaggerated in pop culture. The more responsible truth is about context: water movement, dilution, and species matter. The Natural History Museum notes that sharks detecting blood “immediately” from far away is overstated, and studies on smaller species suggest odor detection is not magical Hollywood radar. (Natural History Museum)
Extra myth inside the myth: “Swimming during menstruation guarantees a shark bite.” The Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File states there is no positive evidence that menstruation is a factor in shark bites, even though sharks may detect bodily fluids. (Florida Museum ISAF)
What to do instead: Follow general shark safety (avoid murky water, avoid swimming near fishing activity, don’t wear high-contrast gear if conditions are low visibility, and stay calm and exit the water if bleeding). Keep your fear on a leash and your awareness on a lookout.
7) Myth: “The ocean is ‘too big’ for humans to affect.”
Reality: The ocean is enormous, yes. But it’s also sensitive in specific places: coasts, reefs, estuaries, and surface layers where light and life collide. That’s why small changes (nutrients, plastics, temperature shifts) can ripple into visible effects. Even NOAA’s explainer on ocean color notes that particles and organisms can noticeably change the sea’s appearance. (NOAA)
What to do instead: Think local leverage: watersheds, coastal cleanup, fertilizer habits, and supporting marine protection where it matters most.
Keep Exploring
- Read more Top Stories: https://fossilartcreations.com/blogs/top-stories-from-the-sea
- Related story: Top 10 Ocean Weirdos That Sound Fake (But Aren’t)
- Shop: Explore Fossil Art Creations
Sources
NOAA Ocean Service: What are tides?
NOAA Ocean Service: Rip currents
NOAA DYW: Rip current safety
NOAA/NHC: Rip current overview
NOAA Ocean Service: Why is the ocean blue?
NOAA Ocean Service: Why rivers aren’t salty
USGS: Why is the ocean salty?
Natural History Museum: What Jaws gets wrong
Florida Museum ISAF: Menstruation and sharks