Lightning in the ocean?

Question

If you are in a pool, pond, or lake and you see lightning, you need to get out so you don't get struck. What happens if you are in the ocean 1000 miles from anywhere? You can't get out. Do you pray you don't get struck (you are in the same danger but can't help it)? Are you somehow safer? I've never seen lightning on the ocean but I don't live near one. Does lightning only strike land? I realize that you can get struck if you are touching the ground and your head is above water but what about someone treading water or in a boat in a pond/lake (not touching ground)?

Answer 1

Lightning does strike the ocean and other bodies of water.  From an electrical standpoint, water is essentially still the ground (no pun intended), in that it is the surface.  It is more dangerous to be on the water simply because you become the highest object out there.  Although I have never heard, I would not be surprised to find out that ships at sea get struck once in a while.

Answer 2

The ocean surface doesn't warm up as much as land does during the day because of water's higher heat capacity. Heating of low-lying air is crucial for storm formation, so the oceans don't experience as many thunderstorms.

Lightning strikes the coastal oceans at a rate of about 2 strikes per square kilometer per year. Lightning in the open ocean is rare. Most people are very familiar with lightning because lightning strikes the land much more often than the ocean. In the arctic and antarctic there is very little lightning.