Shallow Water Dragons are found in tropical regions where the water is warm. They use their magic to hunt, using bubbles to capture small fish and animals. Their large, webbed feet make them excellent swimmers and they are able to move at very high speeds. Due to their bright color, these dragons are easily spotted in the lagoons where they live.

Dragons are highly-intelligent reptilian creatures that—from a human perspective, at least—appear to live forever. Many different varieties of dragon exist, each with their own unique qualities, habitats, and behavior. Adolescence in dragons is usually marked by the growth of a hatchling’s wings, although not all breeds of dragons grow wings and some breeds have other traits that indicate the beginning of maturation. In Galsreim, dragons and humans coexist peacefully.

In his youth, Ocean was swept from his home in tropical waters to the open ocean. Many moons passed before he was able to find his way back to tropical waters. But they were not the same waters from  his youth, and he discovered that he was actually the only dragon of his type in the area. The other dragons of this area, having never seen a Shallow Water dragon before, mistook Ocean for an incarnation of their ocean god, and thus referred to him simply as "the ocean," which is, of course, how Ocean got the name he now goes by.

Being an honest dragon, Ocean has since corrected the native dragon's misconception about him. Having become used to his name, everyone simply decided to keep calling him by it.