Clear Water at Junkanoo Beach
Cool, Clear Water
Clear, beautiful water is found at Junkanoo Beach in Nassau, Bahamas, as cruise ships patiently wait off in the distance under some amazing clouds.
When we visited Junkanoo Beach last summer when our cruise stopped in Nassau, I was immediately impressed by the clear water found there. It is sometimes difficult to get a photo that shows just how clear the water is. But in this photo, you can see down to the bottom of the water, where the seaweed and such is growing. As I am not always a big fan of stepping on seaweed, this was a big help, and it saved me a lot of sudden jumping. Not to mention that it saved me from having to make excuses as to why I was suddenly jumping. If you aren’t expecting to step on seaweed or other things in the water, it can come as a surprise sometimes. But not here at Junkanoo Beach. Unless you weren’t looking where you were going, of course. But then it would be your own fault and not the fault of the water.
I should have taken my GoPro camera out to the water as well so that I could get some photos or video of the fish that were swimming by us. They were quite easy to see because the water was so clear. Maybe next time, if we make it back there again sometime.
What a Difference
If you compare this water with the water in the Mississippi River, you can see quite a difference. In the Mississippi, I don’t think you can even see something a foot below the surface of the water. That might be an exaggeration, but not by much. The river carries a lot of mud and dirt with it as it goes along its way, which explains its cloudy nature.
The water at Cocoa Beach is not all that much different from the water of the Mississippi River, actually. Once again, it is difficult to see anything that is any depth at all below the surface. I would guess that the constantly churning waves stir up sand and debris from the seabed at Cocoa Beach if you want an explanation of why the water there is not clear.
Kentucky Lake is another body of water that we have visited on occasion, and it is anything but clear, too. In fact, it will turn your swimming suit brown if you aren’t careful.
Because those bodies of water are the main ones that I have had experience with, you can see how refreshingly clear the Junkanoo Beach water looked. It even looked clear enough to drink. But because it is still salt water, I definitely would not advise that.
Even with clear water, you have to draw the line somewhere.
You can see more from this trip in the 2017 Disney Cruise Trip Report.
Bible Verse
Greater than the roar of many waters— the mighty breakers of the sea— the Lord on high is majestic. - Psalm 93:4
About the photo
I often talk about combining exposures from the original Raw file to enhance the sky or some other feature. However, for this photo, I only used one exposure. I still dialed down the highlights and turned up the shadow detail in Photoshop, followed by some Nik filters. But otherwise, this one was simple compared to some of the layered photos I have worked on lately. It is nice when a photo turns out to be easy like that.
Photo: A single Raw exposure, processed in Photoshop. Read more about photography tips, photo software, camera gear, and more at Steve’s Photography Tips.
Camera: Olympus OM-D E-M10
Lens: Rokinon 7.5mm f/3.5 Fisheye Lens
Date: June 9, 2017
Location: Junkanoo Beach, Nassau, Bahamas
