Ocean Stories for 4th and 5th Grade Readers

Alex and his friend Jan went to the beach for the day. The waves were big and blue. Alex ran into the water first. Jan was right behind him. They swam out past the small waves to where the water was calm. A dolphin came up near them. It jumped out of the water and splashed back down. "Did you see that?" Alex said. Jan was thrilled. The dolphin swam around them in a wide loop. Then it jumped again, even higher. Alex and Jan floated on their backs and watched the sky. Clouds drifted past. After a while, they swam back to the sand. Jan set out a blanket. They ate sandwiches and drank cold water. "This is the best beach day ever," Alex said. Jan smiled. The sun was warm on their skin. They stayed until the sky turned pink.

Alex and her friend Lee went on a boat trip. The boat was small but had a strong engine. They went far out on the water. The waves rocked the boat back and forth. Lee had a fishing rod. He cast the line into the deep water. They waited. Alex watched the waves. Then Lee felt a tug. "I got one!" he said. He pulled hard. The fish fought back. Alex helped him reel it in. It was a huge silver fish, as long as Alex's arm. They took a picture and then let the fish go. It splashed back into the water and was gone. On the way back, they saw a shark fin cutting through the water. Lee pointed at it. "Look at that," he said. Alex gripped the side of the boat. The shark swam past and dove deep. They made it back to the dock safe and sound.

Alex and her friend Max went diving at the reef. They put on their suits and masks and slipped into the water. The reef was just below them. It was full of color. Red, blue, and gold fish swam in and out of the reef. Alex pointed at a big fish with stripes. Max gave a thumbs up. They swam deeper. A sea creature with long arms drifted past. Alex reached out but did not touch it. They saw a crack in the reef. Inside it, a small crab was hiding. Max took a picture with his camera. They swam along the reef for an hour. When they came back up to the boat, Alex pulled off her mask. "That was amazing," she said. Max nodded. "The best dive I have ever done." They dried off in the sun and planned to come back the next day.