How Deep is the Ocean around the Bahamas?

In fact, over the banks, the water depth is often less than 10 meters (33 feet), but the surrounding basin plunges to depths as low as 4,000 meters (13,100 feet). MODIS is not the only satellite to capture beautiful images of the Bahamas.

How deep is the water between the Bahamas and Florida?

While the average depth of the water over the banks is 30′, the seafloor here plummets to an astounding 13,000′. It is so steep that its walls are almost vertical. Why is this a big deal?

What is the deepest body of water in the Bahamas?

The Tongue of the Ocean is a deep water basin in the Bahamas that is surrounded to the east, west and south by a carbonate bank known as the Great Bahama Bank.

How shallow is the water around the Bahamas?

The waters of the Bahama Banks are very shallow; on the Great Bahama Bank they are generally no deeper than 25 meters (80 feet). The slopes around them however, such as the border of the Tongue of the Ocean in the Great Bahama Bank, are very steep.

Why is the ocean around the Bahamas so blue?

One reason for this is attributed to the shallow waters surrounding the islands. In fact, the word Bahamas comes from the Spanish phrase “Baja Mar,” which means shallow ocean. The blue color of the ocean comes from the absorption of red and green light wavelengths by the water.

Crossing the Ocean 112 MILES to the BAHAMAS on a *SEA-DOO* Fish Pro

Are there sharks in the Bahamas?

The Bahamas is undoubtedly one of the oceans shark diving hotspots! Join Shark Explorers and get up close and personal with a variety of shark species including Tiger sharks, Great Hammerhead sharks, Oceanic White Tip sharks, Bulls sharks, Lemon sharks, Caribbean Reef sharks and Nurse sharks.

Why are Bahamian waters so clear?

The reason that the water in the Bahamas and Hawaii is clearer than along the California coast is likely a combination of both of these factors: 1) the sediments in the Bahamas and Hawaii tend to be composed of heavier particles that are not as easily stirred up or suspended, and 2) there tends to be far less ...

Why is Bahamas so shallow?

East of southern Florida, large swaths of ocean water glow peacock blue. These waters owe their iridescence to their shallow depths. Near Florida and Cuba, the underwater terrain is hilly, and the crests of many of these hills comprise the islands of the Bahamas.

What is the age of the sea floor of the Bahamas?

This basin nearly filled to sea level over a period of 15-20 million years. carbonate sedimentation began on localized basement highs, and perhaps over shallow portions of the oceanic ridge beneath the southeastern Bahamas (Uchupi et al., 1971).

How deep is the Grand Bahama Bank?

Today, the bank is covered by water, though it can be as shallow as two meters (seven feet) deep in places, while the surrounding basin drops to depths as low as 4,000 meters (13,100 feet). The bank itself is composed of white carbonate sand and limestone, mainly from the skeletal fragments of corals.

Does the Bahamas have fresh water?

Freshwater resources are finite and vulnerable in The Bahamas. Fresh surface water is basically non- existent. There are no true rivers or streams on the islands due to the low relief of the country and to the high permeability of the limestone surface that permits the rainwater to percolate quickly to the water table.

Is the Bahamas a ocean?

The Bahamas are a group of about 700 islands and cays in the western Atlantic Ocean, of which only between 30 and 40 are inhabited.

What are the waters around the Bahamas called?

The Bahamas are spread over approximately 233,000 square kilometers (90,000 square miles) of water in the southwestern portion of the North Atlantic Ocean, between the Atlantic and the Caribbean Sea.

Can you take a boat from Florida to Bahamas?

The ferry sailings from Florida to the Bahamas takes between 3 hours (Florida - Bimni route) to 4 hours (Florida - Gran Bahama route). Each week there will be 1 frequency to and from Grand Bahama and three frequencies (also roundtrip) to connect Bimini with Florida.

How long does it take to sail from Florida to the Bahamas?

A boat that's able to notch up to 25 knots can take a couple of hours to sail from your departure point is South Florida to the western islands of the Bahamas. Such a boat can take just about a day to sail from Florida to Nassau or Marsh Harbor (the Boating Capital of The Bahamas).

How deep is the water off Key West?

The harbor is entered through breaks in the reef by several principal channels with depths of 13 to 34 feet, and by several minor channels. Key West, on the island of the same name near the western end of the Florida Keys, is a winter resort.

How does the ocean floor move?

Convection currents in the molten mantle cause the plates to slowly move about the Earth a few centimeters each year. Many ocean floor features are a result of the interactions that occur at the edges of these plates. The shifting plates may collide (converge), move away (diverge) or slide past (transform) each other.

What is the oldest ocean crust?

The oldest patch of undisturbed oceanic crust on Earth may lie deep beneath the eastern Mediterranean Sea – and at about 340 million years old, it beats the previous record by more than 100 million years.

How old is the oldest section of the sea floor?

The oldest seafloor is comparatively very young, approximately 280 million years old. It is found in the Mediterranean Sea and is a remnant of an ancient ocean that is disappearing between Africa and Europe.

What country is the Bahamas owned by?

The Bahamas achieved independence from Britain July 10, 1973, and is now a fully self-governing member of the Commonwealth and a member of the United Nations, the Caribbean Community and the Organisation of American States.

Are there mountains in Bahamas?

There are 37 named mountains in Bahamas. The highest and the most prominent mountain is Mount Alvernia.

What is the dirtiest ocean in the world?

Mediterranean Sea

The Mediterranean is probably the most polluted ocean in the world. The United Nations Environment Programme has estimated that 650,000,000 tons of sewage, 129,000 tons of mineral oil, 60,000 tons of mercury, 3,800 tons of lead and 36,000 tons of phosphates are dumped into the Mediterranean each year.

What is water temperature in Bahamas?

You also can comfortably swim in the ocean, as water temperature in The Bahamas rarely dips below 72 degrees (22 degrees Celsius) near the shorelines. Water temperatures in central Eleuthera average 75 degrees in the winter, 80 degrees in the spring and 88 degrees in the summer.

Where is the bluest water in the Bahamas?

Exuma, Bahamas

All islands in the Bahamas have clear waters, but the Exumas have stunning sapphire blue waters, whose brilliant colors are visible from outer space. Perhaps one of the main attractions in the area is four-legged local celebrities.