Have you ever hung out with your friends and called yourselves a team, a crew, or maybe even a band? Whether it’s on the playground, in a sports game, or at a music rehearsal, you humans love giving names to groups.

Well, under the sea, animals have their own fabulous friend groups too, and they’ve got the coolest names ever!

•  School of Fish, So Cool and Swish!
  When fish swim together in a smooth, synchronized way, they form what’s called a school. It’s almost like a class of fish moving together on a field trip under the sea! If they’re just loosely swimming together, it might be called a shoal. Both show great underwater teamwork!

• A Pod of Dolphins, Playing with Fins!
  Dolphins are some of the most social and intelligent animals in the ocean. They live in groups called pods, where they play, hunt, and even help care for each other. Think of it like a close group of friends who never leave each other’s side.
  
  

• A Pod of Lobsters, Snappy Dancers! 
  Even lobsters enjoy company! When they gather, especially during mating season, they’re also called a pod. It may not be as playful as the dolphins' pod, but it’s still a cool ocean crew.

• A Float of Crocs, In Watery Socks!
  Although they often keep to themselves, crocodiles do sometimes come together. When they’re in the water, the group is called a float. On land, it’s called a bask, a perfect name for sunbathing reptiles!

• A Knot of Snakes, Slither and Shake!
  A group of snakes is known as a knot. It’s a fitting name, since they can look all twisted and tangled when they’re slithering together in one place.

• A Smack of Jellyfish, Wiggle and Swish! 
  When jellyfish float together in the ocean, the group is called a smack. They might look soft and slow, but together, they create a mesmerizing smack that can be dangerous if touched.

• A Pod of Whales, Big Flippers, Big Tales!
  Like dolphins, whales also travel in pods or sometimes schools. They stick close, communicate through songs, and often travel long distances together.

• An Army of Frogs, Croaky Hops on Logs!
  It might sound funny, but a large group of frogs or toads is often called an army. You might also hear the word colony used. Imagine a whole army of frogs hopping and croaking through a marsh!

• A Fever of Stingrays, Glide in a Daze!
  Stingrays don’t just swim solo, sometimes they glide together in a group called a fever. That’s right! A fever of stingrays is a rare but beautiful sight to see, moving silently across the ocean floor.

• A Lounge of Iguanas, Lazy in the Sun!
  When iguanas gather together, it’s called a lounge or a den. They like to bask in the sun and relax as a group, kind of like a reptile beach day.

• A Waddle of Penguins — Cold But Bold!
  If you've ever seen penguins huddled together on the ice, you were looking at a colony or a rookery. These chilly birds gather to stay warm, protect their young, and take turns diving into the sea for food.

What Would You Call Your Friend Group?

My friends at Bubble Buddies Bay and I love learning about these wild and wonderful group names. Every time they spot a new sea creature, we ask, “What would their group be called?” It’s a fun way to explore the ocean and a great reminder that we all belong somewhere, with our own special name for our group.

So, the next time you and your friends are playing together, give your group a fun ocean-inspired name! Are you a Giggling Gaggle? A Snappy Squad? Or maybe a Bubble Band? Ocean and friendship are full of possibilities!

Here are a few activities that we hope they might be interesting for you:

🐠 Ocean Group Match-Up: Create with your friends a set of cards with animal group names (e.g., "pod," "smack," "knot") on one side and pictures of the animals on the other side. Try to match the correct group name to the corresponding animal.
🐠 Ocean Gangs & Silly Swarms! Come rhyme along to learn these underwater teams. You’ll be a group-name genius in no time! Ready to dive in? Let’s go!

A school of fish darts left and right,
A shimmering dance in dappled light.

A pod of dolphins leaps so high,
Twisting and turning beneath the sky.

A shiver of sharks swims sleek and sly,
With watchful eyes and fins that glide by.

A squad of squid shoots jets and zooms,
Like underwater rockets with inky plumes.

A fever of rays glides close to the ground,
So soft and smooth, they barely make sound.

A smack of jellies jiggles with grace,
Gently pulsing through ocean space.

A bale of turtles crawls ashore,
Digging nests on sandy floor.

🐠 Animal Group Story Time: Write or tell a short story featuring one of the animal groups mentioned in the article. For example, "The Dolphin Pod Adventure" or "The Jellyfish Smack's Journey."
🐠 Create Your Own Animal Group: Invent new silly names! A sprinkle of starfish? A glimmer of gobies? Why not!
🐠 Pod Pursuit: A Maze Adventure: Oh no! One playful dolphin swam a little too far and got turned around in the big blue sea. Now he needs your help to swim through the maze and rejoin his dolphin family! Can you guide him safely back to his group?

That’s all for now.
I’m off to chat with Dimitra and Teresa about sea snacks.
We are the best TRIO! Sophia the Seahorse