is the ocean blue blog by seahorse silks

Is The Ocean Blue?

NO!
I ALWAYS THOUGHT IT WAS BLUE BECAUSE IT REFLECTED THE SKY.
They say the Indian Ocean which is the ocean lapping the coast where I grew up, is green.
I didn’t care as long as I got to spend fun filled summer days at the beach swimming in it.
is the ocean blue blog indian ocean at cottesloe beach by seahorse silks
The Indian Ocean at Cottesloe, Perth, Western Australia
showing definite shades of green.
 
Later in life I saw the Pacific Ocean which they say is blue. That’s when I really noticed it.
Yep, the Pacific is blue and the Indian is green.
is the ocean blue blog pacific ocean in fiji by seahorse silks
The Pacific Ocean taken at Mana Island in Fiji
was very blue this particular afternoon.
 
Since then, I’ve been a bit more observant. Especially since I started photographing it. The same beach or lagoon can be very “blue” one day and astonishingly “green” the next.
Recently I saw the Emerald Coast in Florida. Yep, it’s green. Bright green!
is the ocean blue blog emerald coast florida by seahorse silks
East Pass Beach, Florida's Emerald Coast, USA
was so very lime green I wondered if I'd done something wrong!
 
So, how come?  Ask good old google.  There is a lot to it. The water of course is clear. Then we have the water absorbing light that arrives in different wave lengths. Apparently the red, orange, yellow and green are longer. For some reason the shorter blue ones are less likely to be absorbed and can penetrate deeper, making deep water look bluer.
is the ocean blue blog aqua blue bunker bay by seahorse silks
One of the most popular colour palettes is this
gorgeous aqua blue taken at Bunker Bay, Western Australia.
is the ocean blue blog vivd blue indian ocean by seahorse silks
A little further down the WA coast I found Surfers Point,
Margaret River a very vivid blue one day.
 
Then we have phytoplankton. They absorb reds and blues but reflect greens which explains why seas in which they are thriving look greener.
They seem to be the two main factors but we do of course have my childhood reflecting sky theory as another factor. Then there is sunlight, sand and river sediment.
 
And that is just too much information for me.
 
Blue or green, there is something a bit special about it.
They say there is scientific proof it is good for your health to go for a swim in the ocean or a walk along the beach. I don't need data - I know it's good for me.
 
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