As one would expect, the further you travel from the Equator, the colder the ocean waters generally become. Near the Equator, surface water temperatures can be as high as 80° Fahrenheit (27° Celsius). Near the poles, the temperature drops to a chilly 28° Fahrenheit (-2° Celsius). The western side of oceans are usually warmer than the eastern side. This is due to the way in which both the atmospheric and oceanic currents move water from the equator towards the poles on the western side of oceans, and from the poles towards the equator on the eastern side of oceans.