Why is water in Caribbean so clear?

Beneath The Caribbean (22 Min) The water is clear due to the absence of plankton and suspended particles. Plankton is the base of the food web in all oceans and, because there is little plankton in the tropics, tropical ocean water is nearly sterile in comparison with the fertile waters of the temperate oceans.



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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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Ocean water is clear due to the shallow sandy plateau of the Bahamas. Ocean depths are only 10 — 30m with white sand bottom for miles around the islands. Crystal clear.

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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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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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Aruba is a Caribbean Island located eighteen miles off the coast of Venezuela. The Island is extremely arid, with no natural fresh water source available.

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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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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 larger, silty sediments then begin settling to the bottom of the river, leaving only the finer ones suspended in the water. This is the sweet spot where you get the teal/turquoise color.

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Some of the most dangerous Caribbean Islands to visit are Haiti, Trinidad, Tobago, and surprisingly Puerto Rico. These islands have more crime in general, and you should visit with increased caution. It doesn't mean they can't be visited, but you should take extra precautions.

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George Island State Park, Florida: The No. 1 beach in the United States, which is on the Gulf of Mexico, has miles of pristine sand.

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25 Best Beaches in the USA
  • Poipu Beach, Kauai, Hawaii.
  • Ocean City, Maryland.
  • Coronado Beach, San Diego, California.
  • Pope Beach, Lake Tahoe, California.
  • Clearwater Beach, Clearwater, Florida.
  • Harris Beach, Oregon.
  • Glass Beach, Port Townsend, Washington.
  • Oak Street Beach, Chicago, Illinois.


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Beaches With Clear Water: The Best in the United States
  • Waimea Bay Beach Park, Hawaii. ...
  • Crandon Park Beach, Florida. ...
  • Assateague Island, Maryland and Virginia. ...
  • Clearwater Beach, Florida. ...
  • Carmel Beach, Carmel by The Sea, California. ...
  • Cannon Beach, Oregon. ...
  • Lake Tahoe, California and Nevada. ...
  • Clear Water, Clear Skies, Good Times.


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“So the reason why these beaches are usually dirty is mainly because of their limited water circulation, which leads to prolonged pollution near the shore,” Wu said. “This means the circulation is not enough to flush away all pollution when it happens.

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It's about what's in the water Along certain coasts, finer particles like sand and silt can add to the water's murkiness since they're easily agitated and stay afloat for long periods. On the other hand, the sediments off clearer coasts may be heavier and coarser.

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