Why is Caribbean water so pretty?

White sand, no silt and shallow water are the main reasons for the pale blue/green colour of the carribean waters. The areas that have the cleanest, clearest waters are regions where the islands are surrounded by coral reefs, the white sand is coral debris and fragments of sea shell.



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“The Caribbean sea is so clear and blue because it has little presence of plankton – or other substances – and it's relatively shallow so most of the light is reflected. As a result, we see beautiful clear blue water. Water gets its color from the interaction of sunlight with water and the substances in the water.”

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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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Because the tropics have warm surface water, even in the winter, the thermocline never goes away, and the nutrients stay trapped down below in the depths. So even with ample sunlight, phytoplankton growth is severly limited. In the tropics, predators like coral make good use of what little plankton there is.

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Without question, the Island of Aruba has maintained its reputation for the best quality drinking water in all the Caribbean.

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Even though pure water is clear, the different shades and colors of the ocean are mainly a result of the ABSORPTION of light and not for reflecting it on its depth and the amount of light that penetrates its surface. Believe it or not, water absorbs red, yellow, and green light better than blue light!

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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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Blue Lake, New Zealand Blue Lake has underwater visibility up to 70 to 80 meters or 230 to 260 feet down, which is insane! Apart from being the world's clearest lake, it's also the clearest body of natural freshwater. The water in Blue Lake is comparable to distilled water based on laboratory measurements.

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1. Lake Baikal, Siberia. This lake plunges down to about 2,000 feet, making it the deepest lake in the world, as well as one of the freshest. The reason Lake Baikal is so fresh is due to it's volume.

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Waters in places like the Caribbean, South Pacific like in Bora Bora, and Greece are shallower and almost free of plankton, causing them to be a specific shade of azure blue. These waters are also usually home to heavier sand and sediment, which churn up less, leaving waters more clear.

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