SpongeBob SquarePants is an American animated series created by Stephen Hillenburg that first aired in 1999 and is set in the underwater town of Bikini Bottom. Because the show takes place under the sea, bubbling water is a constant part of its sound design, often heard during scene changes and moments when characters move through water. Clips of that bubbling have since circulated widely on soundboards and in short-form videos, where creators reuse them to signal an underwater setting without needing any dialogue. Its familiarity keeps it useful long after the show's early episodes.