Ocean

"The ocean is a friend of mine!"

- Moana to Heihei

The Ocean of the South Pacific is an expanse of sea that serves as a supporting character in Disney's 2016 animated feature film, Moana. The ocean has a high level of sentience and acts as a legitimate character within the supernatural logic of the film's world. It spends a millennium searching for an individual capable of saving humanity when the world falls victim to a devastating curse, and ultimately chooses a young islander named Moana Waialiki. Over the course of the journey, the ocean becomes one of Moana's most trusted and significant companions.

Background
The ocean was the first entity to roam the earth. When the world's first island emerged as a goddess known as Te Fiti, countless new islands were created with the ocean serving as the force that connects them all. After the heart of Te Fiti was lost at sea, resulting in the world being plunged into darkness, legends foretold that the ocean would one day choose an individual worthy enough to restore the heart and save mankind from destruction. Over the course of a century, however, these legends were thought of nothing more than fictitious stories. The only one who saw any truth within them was Tala, an eccentric woman living on the peaceful island of Motunui. Tala kept the stories alive by teaching them to the younger generations, including her granddaughter Moana, who felt drawn to the sea since her earliest years as a toddler.

The ocean has a mind of its own, and can form its water particles into a tentacle-like appendage to grab objects. It will also use this method to mimic human traits such as head-nodding or high-fiving, as a way to communicate with Moana and her accomplices.

Trivia

 * Many film journalists compared the ocean's character to that of Carpet from another Ron Clements and John Musker animated film, Aladdin.