Can a River Originate in the Ocean?

No, rivers cannot start in the ocean. By definition, rivers are freshwater bodies fed by precipitation, snowmelt, springs, and groundwater. They begin at higher elevations—mountains, hills, or plateaus—and flow downhill under gravity, eventually emptying into lakes, seas, or oceans. The ocean is the terminus, not the source. Estuaries mark the transition where river water mixes with seawater, but the river's origin is always terrestrial.