Reefs for scuba diving or snorkelling, where there is sufficient sunlight streaming in and colourful corals? [closed]
When browsing the internet for scuba diving or snorkeling locations, all I see are pictures with a dull blue shade everywhere. Something like this:
But I've also seen images where there is:
- A sufficient amount of sunlight streaming in.
- Bright corals of various colours.
- Fishes and other sea-life of various bright colours.
- Crystal clear waters.
Something like this (notice the difference between the coral colours in both pictures and the clarity of the water):
Questions:
- Do such locations still exist and are they open for amateur/beginner scuba
divers or snorkelers who are just traveling on vacation?
- Or is my question just wishful-thinking, and is the reality that all
scuba diving/snorkeling locations (corals and water) are the dull blue/green type?
I'm asking because I'd like to scuba-dive or snorkel (no experience yet), but all vacation spots I see, have pictures of very dull looking reefs and sea-life.
Best Answer
You're mostly observing differences in the pictures, not the locations. These might be deliberate - wanting to emphasize peaceful blue, or vibrant colour differences - or accidental due to photographer skill, camera equipment etc. There are places where coral is bleached (ocean acidification and climate change are killing coral) and some reefs are more colourful than others, but the default "scuba or snorkel over coral" experience is brightly coloured and visually fascinating. Also, even "mostly blue" is still dramatically amazing. If you've never swum through a cloud of fish, drifted over a clam larger than you, or seen the shapes and textures of coral up close, don't assume that all they have to offer is colours.
An actual list of places where the colours are bright would be far too long and offtopic on this site. Your best bet is to do a broad search for locations that are reasonably accessible for you and then investigate further. For example, you might hear that Fiji has nice diving. Look into the non diving aspects of Fiji - do they sound appealing? Are there easy and inexpensive flights from where you live, or do you have to change planes three times to get there? Then try another location and do the same. Once you've chosen a country, then you can start trying to determine the "best" particular island, bay, or reef within that country to see what you want to see.
Pictures about "Reefs for scuba diving or snorkelling, where there is sufficient sunlight streaming in and colourful corals? [closed]"
Where are the most colorful coral reefs?
The 15 Most Beautiful Coral Reefs In The World- Great Barrier Reef \u2013 Australia. Natural Feature. ...
- New Caledonia Barrier Reef \u2013 New Caledonia. ...
- Red Sea Coral Reef \u2013 Red Sea. ...
- Rainbow Reef \u2013 Fiji. ...
- Tubbataha Reefs Natural Park. ...
- Raja Ampat \u2013 Indonesia. ...
- Palancar Reef \u2013 Cozumel, Mexico. ...
- Great Chagos Archipelago \u2013 Indian Ocean.
What is the most colorful coral reef?
Rainbow Reef, Fiji Fiji's Rainbow Reef stuns visitors with its kaleidoscope of bright colors. The reef is a top diving destination for tourists, and is home to hard and soft corals, exotic fish, manta rays, turtles, and sharks. Fiji's crystal blue waters and stunning coral make it a sight to behold.Where is the best coral reef scuba diving?
Love Coral Reefs? Try These 8 Great Coral Reef Dive Destinations- Komodo, Indonesia. ...
- Wakatobi, Indonesia. ...
- Kimbe Bay, Papua New Guinea. ...
- Florida Islands, Solomon Islands. ...
- Tubbataha National Park, Philippines. ...
- Southern Atolls, Maldives. ...
- Coral Sea, Australia. ...
- Fakarava Atoll, French Polynesia\ufeff
Where is the most Colourful coral in the Great Barrier Reef?
Saxon Reef is famous for its kaleidoscope of colour once the sun shines down upon the water. It has both deep and shallow areas, letting inexperience swimmers take a break from paddling in some parts.TOP 10 Things to see Scuba Diving in Koh Tao, Thailand
More answers regarding reefs for scuba diving or snorkelling, where there is sufficient sunlight streaming in and colourful corals? [closed]
Answer 2
According to this site the problem is that various wavelengths penetrate to different depths. Blue penetrates further hence photos more than, say, 10m deep are predominantly blue.
If you wish to see the full colour range while diving, this must necessarily be done in shallow depths unless you used artificial lighting. Hence, you should restrict your searching to locations where the coral depth is shallow.
Answer 3
The second photo has the saturation cranked way up.
The first photo actually does a good job of portraying what you will likely see if you are scuba diving at depth. Some of the fish have very good colour, these are nearer the camera so some sort of flash has illuminated them. Fish/coral/diver that are further away get less benefit from the artificial light from a flash so result in a more "typical" dive look which is blue saturated due to the penetration of water by different wavelengths as covered in other answers.
Sources: Stack Exchange - This article follows the attribution requirements of Stack Exchange and is licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.
Images: Francesco Ungaro, Tom Fisk, Kelly, Elliot Connor