Beautiful Photos of Jersey Shore's Tropical Ocean Water This Week

No, you're not in Hawaii or the Bahamas.

These are all real photos taken at various spots along the Jersey Shore this week, documenting the tropical Caribbean color of the Atlantic Ocean. The water is especially tropical-looking in South Jersey, around Atlantic City, but the color is creeping up the coast, seen as far north as Asbury Park.

As Patch has reported, it's because of a phenomenon known as upswelling, when colder, nutrient-rich ocean water rises to the surface. That water is rich in phytoplankton, a microscopic marine plant that reflects aquamarine when exposed to direct sunlight.

Because of the ongoing drought in the Northeast, there's been much less rainfall from rivers and streams dumped into the sea, which usually makes the Atlantic Ocean murky. Is there any downfall? Yes, the ocean water can be chilly during an upswell.

The tropical water has now been off the Jersey Shore for 10 days, and beachgoers say that's the longest they've seen it last in a long time. But hurry. Upswelling doesn't last forever, and it may be gone by Sunday, AccuWeather meteorologist Cecily Tynan predicted on her Facebook page. Do you have photos of the Caribbean-colored Jersey Shore water? Send them to carly.baldwin@patch.com and they will be shared statewide.

“I’ve been on the water my whole life, and I can’t remember water this clear and this green for this amount of time,” Jeff George, 47, owner of Atlantic City Cruises, told the Press of Atlantic City.

Top photo credit: Harvey Cedars Beach Patrol