The sea covers 2/3rds of our Earth, so it’s important that your child can name sea animals in English. Not only is it useful, but kids love learning about the cute and interesting creatures that live beneath the waves.
Parents and teachers can use our sea animal vocabulary to engage their children in learning English. For people who ask how to teach English at home, our animal flashcards, target sentences, and English activities for kids can give you a hand.
If you would like to see more fun animal content, take a look at our Animal Names in English home page where you can find more flashcards, coloring pages, and content for your child.
It’s not easy to teach your child English at home, so we want to help you as much as possible. If you have any questions about grammar, pronunciation, or teaching strategies, just send us a message. You can click the button below or ask us a question in the comments below.
List of Sea Animals in English
Although this list is not exhaustive, it should give your child a good introduction to most of the popular sea animals in English.
For your convenience, we have included the plural form of each noun as well. So, when you see “whale(s),” you know the singular form is “whale” and the plural form is “whales.” In the case of fish, fish is both the singular and plural, so we don’t have any brackets beside it.
We have also included some pronunciation audio beneath each picture. Just click the play button to hear us say that sea animal in English.
Whale(s)
I see a whale. I see two whales.
Dolphin(s)
I see a dolphin. I see two dolphins.
Shark(s)
I see a shark. I see two sharks.
Turtle(s)
I see a turtle. I see two turtles.
Fish
I see a fish. I see two fish.
Seal(s)
I see a seal. I see two seals.
Otter(s)
I see an otter. I see two otters.
Oyster(s)
I see an oyster. I see two oysters.
Lobster(s)
I see a lobster. I see two lobsters.
Crab(s)
I see a crab. I see two crabs.
Seahorse(s)
I see a seahorse. I see two seahorses.
Jellyfish
I see a jellyfish. I see two jellyfish.
Seagull(s)
I see a seagull. I see two seagulls.
Walrus(es)
I see a walrus. I see two walruses.
Starfish
I see a starfish. I see two starfish.
Octopus(es)
I see an octopus. I see two octopuses.
Squid(s)
I see a squid. I see two squids.
What is the Plural of Fish?
There is a lot of debate about the plural form of fish. Is it fish or fishes? Technically it can be both, but usually, we just say “fish” is the plural form of fish.
Example:
I can see a fish.
I can see many fish.
Sometimes, we do use the plural form fishes. Oftentimes, this is when we are talking about many different kinds of fish in a scientific sense. For most people most of the time, just say two fish, not two fishes.
What is the Plural of Starfish?
The plural of starfish can be starfish or starfishes. We prefer the plural to be starfish as we feel starfishes sounds awkward, but neither is wrong.
What is the Plural of Jellyfish?
The plural of jellyfish can be jellyfish or jellyfishes. Like starfish, it is up to you, but we prefer jellyfish.
What is the Plural of Octopus?
Generally, we say the plural of octopus is octopuses. Sometimes, people will say the plural of octopus is octopi. Octopi comes from Latin, and some people feel this is the correct plural of octopus. However, most people, and the dictionary, use octopuses as the plural form of octopus.
Sea Animal Flashcards
Click on the picture below or click here to download your free sea animal flashcards. Use these flashcards to play games and remind your child of the sea animals that they have already learned.
Target Sentence Ideas
English vocabulary is important to learn, but it is difficult to use if you don’t have a good understanding of English sentence structures. Here are some target sentences you could practice with your child.
If you have more questions about this, take a look at our post on how to use target sentences.
What can you see? / I can see a ______.
What can you see? I can see a dolphin.
This kind of sentence would be great to learn before you go to an aquarium or zoo. It is also just a very useful sentence structure that introduces your child to the helper verb “can”.
Where is the ______? / It is in/on/under the _____.
Where is the starfish? It is on the rock.
One area that children often need to practice a lot is their prepositions. In, on, and under are easy for them to understand, and can be a good starting point for these kinds of words.
What can a _____ do? / A _____ can _______.
What can a fish do? It can swim.
This is another “can” sentence that lets you experiment with different action verbs. Fish can swim. Sharks can eat. Seagulls can fly. Animals lend themselves very well to this kind of sentence.
English Activities for Kids
Vocabulary Games
Vocabulary games are always a great way to practice sea animal vocabulary. To help you out, we have made a whole post on different vocabulary games you can use to develop your child’s vocabulary skills.
This post includes two games that you can download and play with your child. As well, we give you ideas on how to use your new sea animal flashcards in fun and useful ways to teach your child about animals in English.
Drawing and Coloring Page
Drawing is a great way for your child to learn English. Drawing and coloring forces your child to think about the words that they are learning, which in turn helps them to retain this knowledge better.
To encourage them to draw, we have made them a coloring and drawing page. In one of them, we have left the ocean blank so that they can draw their favorite sea animals in English. The other page comes with the sea animals already there so that they can be easily colored. You can choose whichever one your child prefers, or do both!
Go to an Aquarium
Although we have reservations about sea animals like seals or whales in captivity, aquariums can still be a great way for your children to learn about sea animals in English. Teach them in advance, and then ask them to tell you what each animal is called in English.
Another fun thing to do is take a guided tour in English. Most aquariums, even in non-English speaking countries, will offer tours in English. They may even pick up some more advanced sea animal vocabulary from the tour guide.
Visit the Beach
Depending on where you live, you might be able to visit the beach with your child. Not only is the beach a fun place to take your family, but it can also give your child a chance to practice some of their new vocabulary.
If you are feeling particularly adventurous, turn it into a scavenger hunt. Give your child a list of things to find, and then accompany them around the beach while they try to find each item on their list.
Sea Animal Songs
Songs are another great way to get your child to practice new sea animal vocabulary. Here are a couple of free songs that you can find on YouTube.
Sea Animal FAQ
What is the Largest Sea Animal?
The largest sea animal is the blue whale. The blue whale is not only the largest sea animal, but it’s also the largest animal in the history of planet Earth! The blue whale grows to be 108 feet long and weighs 400,000 pounds.
How Many Oceans are there?
Generally, it is accepted that there are five oceans:
- Pacific Ocean
- Atlantic Ocean
- Arctic Ocean
- Indian Ocean
- Southern Ocean
Some people do not recognize the Southern Ocean, which would mean that there are only four oceans in their model.
Final Thoughts
Like our lesson on Farm Animals, Sea Animals in English are a great avenue to get your child interested in English. From sharks to jellyfish, the sea is full of amazing creatures for your child to learn about.
As you teach your child about these topics, make sure to adapt your lessons to their interests. If your child wants to learn more about a kind of sea animal, then that’s perfectly fine. Look for kid’s science books or even watch a documentary on the subject. At the end of the day, the goal is to keep them interested in learning more, so take what we have put here as a jumping-off point to begin exploring.
Don’t forget to keep things varied. Do an art project, watch a movie, or go on a field trip, it may not be easy, but the variety will help them learn better. Remember, if you need any help from us, we are here to support you. Click on the picture below or comment on this post with any questions that you have.