Sonar

Hello. My name is Sonar. I am a special sound that lives in the big, blue ocean. I help people see in the deep, dark water where the sun cannot shine. Before I was born, it was tricky for big ships to sail. They did not know what was hiding under the waves. Sometimes there were big rocks or even giant, chilly icebergs floating quietly. The ships needed a way to see with their ears, and that is why they needed me. I was excited to help them explore safely and see all the wonders of the deep sea.

My story starts with a very big ship called the Titanic. In the year 1912, it was sailing on the cold ocean at night. The people on the ship could not see a huge iceberg hiding in the darkness, and the ship bumped right into it. It was a very sad day and it made people think and think. They wanted to find a way to keep ships safe. A very clever person thought about bats. Bats fly at night and they do not bump into things. They make a tiny sound and listen for it to bounce back. That is how they see in the dark. So, a group of smart inventors worked together to make me. They wanted me to be like a bat for the big ships in the ocean.

Ping. I love my job. Here is how I work. I send a little sound out into the water. It goes 'Ping.'. My sound travels far and wide. If it bumps into something, like a big rock or a school of fish, it bounces right back to the ship. This echo sounds like a 'Pong.'. By listening to my 'pong.', the ship knows something is there. I help keep ships safe from bumping into things they cannot see. I also help find amazing things like old, sunken treasure or find yummy fish for dinner. I am so proud to be the eyes and ears of the big, wonderful ocean.