Why is the water turquoise in the Caribbean?

The color of the ocean often appears turquoise in the Caribbean because of the clear waters and the shallow coral reefs. Southern California ocean color is derived from the kelp beds, which are numerous in our area. They are a dark to medium green, sometimes olive color.



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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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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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The waters around the Bahamas are light blue because the water is shallow. The blue color comes from the absorption of red and green light wavelengths by the water. The blue is reflected to be received by your eyes. The light blue is a response to sunlight reflecting off the sand and corals on the bottom.

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The Maldives The Maldives, located in the Indian Ocean, have around 1,190 islands and sandbanks.

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The azures, aquas, and turquoises of the shallower depths are what really contribute to the unique Turks and Caicos water and are caused by light reflecting off the white sandy bottoms and off of fine white sand particles that are suspended in the ocean.

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THE MALDIVES This island nation is not the easiest place to get to, but its sheer beauty makes the journey worth it. Sitting between the Indian and Arabian seas, the Maldives' 1,000 coral islands are set in the clearest water in the world accompanied by the purest beaches.

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Seven Mile Beach, Grand Cayman One of the best-known features of Grand Cayman, Seven Mile Beach is a long crescent of coral sand lapped by clear turquoise water. Little wonder that the beach is constantly voted one of the finest in the Caribbean.

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Ocean salt primarily comes from rocks on land and openings in the seafloor. Salt in the ocean comes from two sources: runoff from the land and openings in the seafloor. Rocks on land are the major source of salts dissolved in seawater. Rainwater that falls on land is slightly acidic, so it erodes rocks.

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Kauna'oa (Mauna Kea) Beach, Hawaii Island The beach is a pristine beauty with turquoise waters, gentle waves, and plenty of marine life, including turtles and the occasional manta ray.

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The Bahamas is known for its stellar beaches. With over 2,000 breathtaking islands and cays, and the clearest water on Earth, it's no wonder visitors come here from all around to sink their toes into miles of pure white, and in some places pink, sand-the very definition of paradise.

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By far one of our most alluring features, the sparkling turquoise waters of The Bahamas have been enticing visitors for centuries, both on land and in the sky.

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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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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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