The Position of a Particle in an ocean wave

I love this

science... :)

These is why bottles with messages don't travel far or take a long time to travel somewhere

This is far from a good visualisation of an ocean wave. Very few waves are as linear as this. Besides, if everything in a wave moved in a circle (except for the energy, of course, which in this case moves towards the right side of the gif), how can stuff wash up on shore? Wouldn't they just stay in place?

It’s an upside down cycloid curve! You will see the same thing of you attach a light to the outside rim of a bicycle tire and watch someone pedal the bike around in the dark.