Why is the water green in the Caribbean?


Why is the water green in the Caribbean? Deep tropical water is reflects back blue. In shallow areas with a sandy bottom enough longer wavelength light reflects back to appear more greenish. That means that light can get go waayyy down into the depths, and as light passes through the water the blue wavelengths get scattered.


Why is there no plankton in the Caribbean?

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.


Why is Bahamas water so clear?

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.


Who has the purest water in the world?

While there are a few places that boast extremely clean water, such as Canada, Iceland, Antarctica, or even Upstate New York, the team of scientists determined that the cleanest water in the world was in the Patagonia region of Chile, Puerto Williams.


Where is the warmest ocean water in the Caribbean?

Orient Bay Beach, Saint Martin, Caribbean The Caribbean island of Saint Martin contains 37 square miles of sandy beaches with clear blue water that stays a balmy 80 degrees year-round, peaking at 88 degrees as August turns into September.


Which Caribbean island has white sand?

The western coast of Grand Cayman is home to one of the top white sand beaches in the Caribbean. This expansive stretch of white coral sand is a popular destination for beach-goers and offers a little something for every type of interest.


What Caribbean island has the most sharks?

The Bahamas has the most shark attacks of any of the Caribbean Islands, with 32 unprovoked shark attacks happening throughout its history. The Bahamas refers to a group of islands in the Caribbean Sea.


Who has the clearest water in America?

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.


Why is water clearer in the Caribbean?

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.


Why is Caribbean water so turquoise?

This MODIS image of blue water in the Caribbean Sea looks blue because the sunlight is scattered by the water molecules. Near the Bahama Islands, the lighter aqua colors are shallow water where the sunlight is reflecting off of the sand and reefs near the surface.


Where is the most turquoise water in the world?

13 of the most crystal clear waters on Earth
  • Lake Mashu, Japan. ...
  • The Maldives. ...
  • Sheosar Lake, Pakistan. ...
  • Peyto Lake, Canada. ...
  • Abel Tasman National Park, New Zealand. ...
  • The Weddell Sea, Antarctic Peninsula. ...
  • Cancun, Mexico. ...
  • Cook Islands (Rarotonga)


Why is the water turquoise in Cancun?

A component that plays a big part in the water´s clear blue is the color of the sand. Cancun´s sand is one of the whitest and powdery there is. White sand works as a light reflector that brings the coast a more transparent aspect.


Where is the clearest water in the world?

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.