The Real Reason Why Some Ocean Water Is More Turquoise Than Others

""When light shines through water, colors with longer wavelengths are absorbed by the water, with the longest wavelengths absorbed first," the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution explains. "Blue and violet...have the shortest wavelengths of visible light, so they are able to penetrate the deepest. Not only do they stick around, they're scattered by particles in the water, making it seem as though the water itself is blue.""

"So how, then, is the water in places like the Caribbean, South Pacific, and Greece such a specific shade of azure blue? As the Oceanic Research Group explains, it's because not only are the waters around the islands shallower, but those same waters are also almost completely free of plankton, causing other waters to turn a more greenish hue. Additionally, these lighter blue waters are usually home to heavier sand and sediment, which churn up less, leaving the waters clearer."

Water absorbs longer wavelengths of visible light first, allowing shorter blue and violet wavelengths to penetrate deepest and scatter off particles, making water appear blue. Most of the world's oceans are virtually dark beyond several hundred feet because sunlight cannot penetrate deeply. Shallow tropical island waters often appear turquoise because they are shallower and nearly free of plankton, reducing greenish coloration. Heavier sand and sediment in those locations churn up less, producing clearer water. Those destinations also tend to have exceptionally calm waters and experience less upwelling.

Read at Travel + Leisure