Whether deep blue or turquoise, oceans are beautiful water bodies- there is no doubt about that. But then, whenever we imagine diving into the ocean, we often think of the scary and dangerous marine animals there. However, the interesting thing is that there are more beautiful animals down there than we know. This article is dedicated to five of these cute creatures.
Pufferfish
Among the different kinds of pufferfish, the porcupine pufferfish is unarguably the most beautiful. The fish has a face shape that makes it look like it is flashing a smile; its big eyes are even a plus. But is it harmful?
Courtesy: LiveAquaria
The pufferfish has natural spikes, giving it only a few predators; it can also inflate to double its size, making it less vulnerable. The pufferfish also have organs containing tetrodotoxin, which is about 1200 times more than cyanide. It’s one of the most poisonous vertebrates in the world.
Green Sea Turtle
Generally, tortoises have unique bodies with patterns that look like art designs. However, the green sea turtle is one of the cutest animals divers have ever encountered beneath the water.
Courtesy: Wild Republic
These sea turtles maintain their adorable faces until their golden years; they are the embodiment of beauty that doesn’t fade. A healthy green sea turtle can live between 80 and 100 years in the wild.
Bottlenose Dolphin
Can any list of cute marine animals be complete without dolphins? Absolutely not. Also called the puppies of the sea, bottlenose dolphins have attractive smiling faces that would make the most stuck-up diver smile.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Bottlenose dolphins have playful personalities that make you wish you could keep them as pets. These cute dolphins reach speeds of 18 mph; native to warm waters, they live up to 50 years in the wild.
Axolotl
The axolotl is one of those not-so-popular marine creatures; its innocent beauty and unique appearance characterize it. It has doll eyes and external gills protruding from the back of its head, looking like an eccentric hairstyle.
Courtesy: Britannica
Its wide mouth looks even more adorable when it sports an occasional smile. It lives in the Xochimilco Lake complex near Mexico City. However, due to lake drainage to avert flooding, the axolotl is close to extinction in the wild.
Boxfish
The boxfish is another beautiful sea creature we rarely see pictures of because they are camera-shy and quite hard to photograph. As the name suggests, the boxfish is shaped like a box and covered with black polka dots.
Courtesy: iNaturalist
Especially as a juvenile, these marine creature’s bright colors, pouty lips, and cute eyes are simply captivating. As it matures, its color and dots begin to change. The boxfish is often found on tropical reefs, starting in 3 ft. of water.
