It’s impossible to ignore the stunning sight of crystal clear water at your feet, or the smell of saltwater, sand, and the familiar scent of lathered-on sunscreen—but just how often do you stop to soak up the sounds of the sea?

They may be hard to miss if you don’t know quite what you’re listening for—but when you hear them, they’ll play like music to your ears. In today’s blog, we’re listing our favorite on-the-water sounds.

Rolling waves

The sound of gently rolling waves is a subtle one that’s all too easy to miss—but once you hear it, we bet it starts to sound quite familiar! This pleasing sound is often an indicator of easy weather and relaxation on the water. It’s such a pleasing sound that many online videos and CDs include rolling waves as a calming means of stress reduction—one that you get to enjoy right there in person, no computer or CD player needed.

Rain on the water

Big rainstorms are never fun, but the passing rain shower—especially common in subtropical spots like Florida during the summer—can provide you and your crew with quick relief from the heat and an overall feeling of calm. The gentle “plop, plop” of drops onto the water’s surface is sure to put your mind at ease as you watch the rain from on board.

Nothing?

Conversely, there’s something special when you can’t hear much of anything on the water—that is, besides the occasional splash of a fish come to surface or birds chirping on shore. Since our everyday lives can be so noisy—from car horns on our commute to blaring ads as we watch TV—there’s nothing better than unwinding in the peace and quiet of an afternoon fishing trip to your favorite spot.

Shell music

As a child, you probably tried to listen for sounds of the ocean in seashells. The shell isn’t sloshing around remnants of the waves inside, nor is it serving as a telephone to the sea (though that would be amazing!)—but science aside, you probably do hear a low, whooshing sound quite similar to the sound of your favorite waves! What causes this? In this case, the seashell is serving as a natural resonator, using its interior cavity to lower the frequencies and sharpness of surrounding sounds you normally wouldn’t catch (like gentle breezes, or even the sound of your own blood flowing!). The result is, of course, something that sounds quite like the natural music of the sea.

The next time you take out your Monterey, listen close for these auditory treasures—we’re sure they will make your excursion a lot more special!