Ocean tides are the regular rise and fall of sea levels caused primarily by the gravitational pull of the Moon and the Sun. As the Earth rotates, different areas of the planet experience varying gravitational forces, leading to high and low tides. Typically, there are two high tides and two low tides each day. The cycle of tides is influenced by the positions of the Moon and Sun relative to the Earth. When the Moon is directly overhead or on the opposite side of the Earth, high tides occur. Conversely, low tides happen when the Moon is at right angles to a location on Earth.