Here's why:

* Refraction is the bending of a wave as it passes from one medium to another.

* In the case of waves and land: The water depth changes as the wave approaches the shoreline. The shallower water near the shore slows the wave down. Since one part of the wave (near the shore) is traveling slower than the other part (further out), the wave bends.

Think of it this way: Imagine a line of people walking side-by-side. If the people on one side of the line start walking slower, the line will bend to the side where people are moving slower.

This bending of waves due to changing water depth is a common phenomenon observed in oceanography and is crucial for understanding how waves interact with coastlines.