The Pacific Ocean is the largest and deepest body of water on Earth, covering more than 63 million square miles—about one-third of the planet’s surface. Its name, derived from the Latin Mare Pacificum, means “peaceful sea,” a title given by explorer Ferdinand Magellan in the 16th century. But the Pacific is anything but tranquil in spirit—it’s a dynamic force of nature, home to towering waves, volcanic islands, and some of the most diverse marine ecosystems on the planet.
In 1993, I served aboard the USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN-72), a floating city of steel and steam, slicing through the Pacific off the coast of California. It was a time of grit, camaraderie, and adrenaline—when the roar of jet engines and the hum of catapults became the...