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Why are Cornwall beaches so clear?

Hannah explains: “We have no major rivers to bring down lots of mud and silt, and it has been a very dry spring which has meant the streams are not washing mud into our bays and beaches.



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The best beaches in Cornwall. You could be forgiven for thinking you were in the South of France when soaking up the British summertime at one of Cornwall's best beaches, with 400 miles of shimmering coastline – Cornwall beaches offer dramatic cliffs and crystal clear water from Carbis Bay to Kynance Cove.

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Hannah continues: “The clarity and turquoise colour in west Cornwall compared to say the North Sea or Bristol Channel is also because of the heavy sand particles which sit on the seabed, and lack of sediment swirling around in the water column.”

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Lake Tahoe Known for its phenomenal clarity, this ancient lake has the purest waters in North America, making this The Clearest Lake in the United States. It offers visitors many options for exploring the gorgeous area as well.

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The Weddell Sea has been claimed by scientists to have the clearest waters of any ocean in the world. Described by a historian as “the most wretched and dismal region on earth”, due to the flash freezes that caught Shackleton's ship, its clarity is only belied by the sheer depth of the ocean below.

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Sitting on the west coast, Carbis Bay is one of the more famous beaches in Cornwall but is still as outstandingly beautiful as others in the county. The crisp, white sands are a delight in the warmer months and the sheltered cove is safe for sea swimming.

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Generally the water quality is good in Cornwall. After periods of high rainfall, seawater can become contaminated with farmland or urban runoff. There is also the risk of sewage overflows releasing raw, untreated human waste into the ocean.

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The sediment in Hawaii's oceans is made up of volcanic rock, coral, and shells which are heavy and not easily stirred up. The sediment quickly settles on the ocean floor, keeping the water clear.

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Cornwall has the mildest and sunniest climate in the United Kingdom, as a result of its oceanic setting and the influence of the Gulf Stream. The average annual temperature in Cornwall ranges from 11.6 °C (53 °F) on the Isles of Scilly to 9.8 °C (50 °F) in the central uplands.

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When surfer William Howells returned to the sea a year after suffering a heart attack, the swell was not the main thing on his mind. It was the smell. He said a wave of sewage releases in July left Harlyn Bay, Cornwall, just smelling of excrement.

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Cornwall is England's most south-westerly county that built its reputation on fishing, mining and farming (and a bit of smuggling, too). Known to Cornish speakers as Kernow, it's now the place to come if you seek isolated craggy coves, wide expanses of smooth sand or wild, rugged moorland.

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Cornwall, unitary authority and historic county, southwestern England, occupying a peninsula jutting into the Atlantic Ocean.

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1. Blue Hole – Santa Rosa, New Mexico. Approximately a two-hour drive from Albuquerque, the sapphire cenote is located in eastern New Mexico in the middle of a desert oasis.

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Maldives. The area known as the Maldives is 99% clear, blue waters and just 1% land. So the list of ways you'll be able to enjoy the Maldives' waters is practically limitless. Swim with manta rays, play with the entire family on the beach or go diving among more than 1,000 species of fish.

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