SpongeBob SquarePants (born July 14, 1986[9]) is the titular main protagonist of the animated series of the same name. He was designed by show creator and former marine biologist, the late Stephen Hillenburg. Stephen Hillenburg based SpongeBob on Bob the Sponge, a character he had created for his educational book The Intertidal Zone in the late 1980s. SpongeBob is a childish, joyful, and clumsy sea sponge who lives in a pineapple with his pet snail Gary in the underwater city of Bikini Bottom. He works as a fry cook at the Krusty Krab, a job in which he is exceptionally skilled at and enjoys thoroughly. He attends Mrs. Puff's Boating School, and his greatest dream in life is to receive his boating license. Unfortunately, he tenses up whenever he has to drive a boat mobile, and he drives recklessly. SpongeBob is very good-natured and loves to hang out with his best friend, Patrick. His teacher is Mrs. Puff and his boss is Mr. Krabs.