10 cleanest seas in the world

Review of the best according to the editorial board. On the selection criteria. This material is subjective, does not constitute advertising and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.

Scientists have proved that the transparent purity of the Atlantic Ocean is visible at 66 meters, the Pacific Ocean – 62 meters, and the Indian Ocean – 50. But the cleanest waters are in the Arctic Ocean, although, unfortunately, it is always covered with ice.

Many seas that border warm oceans can also delight in the transparency of their waters. Today we will tell you about 10 of the cleanest ones.

Overview of the cleanest seas in the world

10th place: Weddell Sea

Rating: 4.1

It is located in the Southern Ocean and is covered mainly by permanent and massive ice shelf. Sea waters are found within Britain, Chile and Argentina. It is believed that it has the purest water of all the seas, which has been compared to distilled water since 1986.

The most interesting facts about the Weddell Sea:

1. It covers an area of ​​about 2.8 million square kilometers. 1200 miles wide at its widest point.
2. It was named after King George IV James Weddell by a Scottish sailor in 1823.
3. It has many populations of seals and whales.
4. In recent years, a colony of emperor penguins has been discovered in the Weddell Sea south of Snohill Island.
5. These waters are considered insidious, and there are myths that mermen with green hair live in them. And because of them, many ships were destroyed by ice.

9th place: Dead Sea

Rating: 4.2

This is one of the most intriguing and interesting lakes in the world. Located at the lowest point on Earth, it borders Jordan to the east and Israel to the west. Tourists from all over the globe 'flock' to this super-salty phenomenon. Here are some fascinating facts about the 'Salt Sea':

1. It arose because a gap formed in the earth's crust.
2. Located at the lowest point on earth at the edge of the Judean Desert, a very hot region at the foot of the Ha-Heetekim cliff. It is near Jerusalem and the link between the desert and developed land in the Middle East.
3. Has incredible healing powers. It is believed that water with a salt content of up to 32% and a high mineral content helps people with breathing problems, joint pain (such as arthritis). And also with many chronic skin diseases such as psoriasis, acne and cellulite. The sun's low UV rays and bromine in the air also promote natural healing.
4. No plants or animals can live in such water, which means no jumping dolphins, swimming fish, and algae to get stuck between your toes. The huge concentration of salt prevents all life forms from existing, except for some bacteria found in recent years. Of course, you cannot drink this water!
5. Almost as famous as the sea itself are images of tourists smearing mud on their bodies, letting it harden, and then washing it into the sea. The black mud deposits come directly from the seabed. It is good for the skin as it contains a lot of magnesium, sodium, potassium and calcium.

8th place: Sargasso Sea

Rating: 4.3

Such an amazing natural phenomenon as the Sargasso Sea has been the focus of scientists' attention for several centuries. Its area is 7 million km2. Of these, 6 million are covered with a thick carpet of sargasso algae, hence the name. There is a very diverse marine fauna: various types of fish, crabs, sea turtles and much more. The maximum depth under the algae reaches 7 km.

Interestingly:

1. There is no wind over the water. The reason is simple – there is a zone of high atmospheric pressure. In the era of sailing ships, such a lull was truly fatal. That is why the waters of Sargasso from time immemorial had a very bad reputation, they were even called the 'ship eater'.
2. It is the only sea on Earth that has no shores.
3. The water temperature here never falls below 18 ° C.
4. Its water mass rotates clockwise slowly but continuously, filled with algae and other life forms.
5. The first European to visit this amazing place was the famous Christopher Columbus.
6. The variety of life in the Sargasso waters is much lower than in any other. There is a lot of biomass here, but the number of different life forms is small. However, about 2 thousand unique microorganisms, previously unknown, have already been found there.
7. The famous and mysterious Bermuda Triangle is also located here.

7th place: Red Sea

Rating: 4.4

Its water is crystal clear, warm and salty. At an average temperature of + 30 ° C, the salinity concentration in some places can reach 42%. This unique sea has no rivers flowing into it at all, so silt and clay do not get into it. Coral fields are scattered on the seabed, giving it the distinctive hue that is reflected in the name. The underwater world of the Red Sea is incredibly rich and beautiful, which is why travelers are so eager to visit. It is located between Asia and Africa and is the entrance to the Indian Ocean.

A few facts:

1. The Red Sea has over 1000 species of invertebrates and is also home to over 200 hard and soft corals.
2. Its second name is the Eritrean Sea.
3. More than 1200 species of fish live here. Approximately 10% of these species cannot be found elsewhere in the world.
4. Several species that live on its reefs are dangerous to humans, including tiger shark, scorpion fish, rabbit fish and rays.

6th place: Cretan Sea

Rating: 4.5

It is located between the Cretan shores and the Keikladi islands, and then passes into the Aegean. Tourists have chosen North Crete, thanks to the clear waters along the coast and the abundance of comfortable sandy beaches. And it is for the transparency of the water that many of the Cretan beaches have been awarded the European Blue Flag. The most famous facts about Crete and the waters that wash its shores:

1. Crete is the oldest place in Europe. Archaeological excavations of the Palace of Knossos have shown that the first people lived in Crete in the 7th millennium BC.
2. It is the largest island in Greece, the fifth largest in the Mediterranean basin and the 88th largest on Earth.
3. The air above the Cretan waters is believed to have healing properties. Many people reported that they were healed of various illnesses after staying on the island. This wonderful aerial myth was confirmed by Hippocrates – the father of medicine.

5th place: Mediterranean Sea

Rating: 4.6

The Mediterranean Sea is located between Southern Europe and North Africa, many are mistaken, considering it part of the Atlantic Ocean, but in fact it is a separate body of water, which is almost completely surrounded by land, and in the south it borders with Africa, in the east – with Levan, and in the north – with Anatolia and Southern Europe. The word 'Mediterranean' comes from the Latin word 'mediterraneus' which means 'in the middle of the earth'.

Interesting Mediterranean Sea Facts:

1. Both in ancient times and today, it is an important transport route.
2. Its basin was formed when the African and Eurasian plates converged.
3. Climate change could raise sea levels, which could negatively affect drinking water supplies and displace up to half a million people in Egypt alone.
4. It is a major tourist destination for people from all over the world.
5. Its water is slightly saltier than the Atlantic Ocean due to narrow channels and evaporation.

4th place: White Sea

Rating: 4.7

It is part of the Arctic Ocean, and its waters are considered the cleanest among those that wash the shores of Russia. It has an amazing rugged coastline, which is why many call it 'the bay of snakes'. The area of ​​the White Sea is over 90 thousand km2, while it is not deep – only 343 meters. The average summer water temperature is + 16 ° C. And in winter it can drop to -1оС.

Interesting Facts:

1. From the 14th to the 1700s, the White Sea was the main trade route for Russia. Its use declined when St. Petersburg was founded in 1703.
2. Arkhangelsk, once a major trading port in Russia, is today used as an underwater and naval base.
3. It contains about 60 species of fish, including herring, saffron cod, Atlantic salmon and European smelt. These waters are also home to five species of mammals, including the white whale and beluga whale.

3rd place: Arabian Sea

Rating: 4.8

It is located in the northern Indian Ocean and borders Somalia and the Arabian Peninsula in the west, Iran and Pakistan in the north and India in the east. The Arabian Sea is also known as the Oman Sea and historically as the Persian Sea. It is believed to have served as an important trade route since the second or third millennium BC. Some interesting things:

1. Named after Arab merchants who considered the sea to be theirs from the 9th century until the late medieval period of history.
2. It is considered one of the largest in the world.
3. Three large peninsulas border it: the Horn of Africa, the Arabian Peninsula and the Indian Peninsula.
4. Fishing is a large scale industry for several countries with coastlines along the Arabian Sea.

2nd place: Philippine Sea

Rating: 4.9

The largest sea on our planet is the Philippine Sea, it is also part of the Pacific Ocean, and its area is 5.73 million km2. But it also does not have clear boundaries outlined by land, which makes it close in similarity to the Sargasso Sea. At the same time, its conventional boundaries are considered to be the shores of the islands: the Japanese archipelago, the Philippine archipelago, as well as the island of Taiwan. The water in the Philippine Sea has moderate salinity, and the richest marine fauna flourishes in its thickness.

Interesting Facts:

1. It contains deep trenches, including the Mariana Trench, which is the deepest point on earth.
2. Approximately 20% of the world's known shellfish species are found in Philippine waters.
3. In 1944, a major naval battle took place here, which was called the Battle of the Philippine Sea. This happened between Japan and the United States during World War II.
4. It is one of the best places in the world to see the 'gentle giant' whale shark, the largest fish in the sea. Divers often report seeing some species over 10 meters in length.
5. In 2011, a controversy called the 'Spratly Islands dispute' escalated, and several government agencies in the Philippines began to refer to the South China Sea as the West Philippine Sea.

1st place: Andaman Sea

Rating: 5.0

Another warm tropical sea, which also belongs to the Indian Ocean basin and can please us with high transparency of the water. On the one hand, it is limited to the Malacca Peninsula, and on the other, to the Indochina Peninsula. Its water area is 605 thousand km2. The exact history of the origin of the name has been lost, but there is a version that the inhabitants of Malaysia gave it this name in honor of the god Anduman.

Interestingly:

1. The only active volcano in the Indian subcontinent is located east of the group of islands in the Andaman Sea.
2. Along the seawater of the Malay Peninsula, there are about 280 different species of edible fish.
3. About 150 dugongs live in the Andaman reservoir. Dugongs are a type of sea cow known for their similarity in appearance and temperament to livestock.
4. A tsunami that occurred in 2004 destroyed 1.5% of the seaweed habitat along the coast. The earthquakes of magnitude 9.3 were from beyond the border of the Tundon plates of Sunda and Burma. Therefore, when they led to the tsunami in 2004, they killed about 280,000 people in the coastal regions of the Indian Ocean.

Now you know about the cleanest seas of our planet, and for a good rest it remains to learn about the most popular beaches that attract tourists with their mirror-clear water. But, we will tell you about this in our other article.

Attention! This rating is subjective and does not constitute an advertisement and does not serve as a purchase guide. Before buying, you need to consult with a specialist.