Tongue of the ocean, Bahamas Archipelago. A portion of the tongue of the ocean (24.0N, 77.0W), and the Bahamas Bank, Bahamas Archipelago. The light blue region is the shallow sea bottom where the Bahama Bank is no more than 30 ft. deep. At the contact between light and dark blue, an underwater shear cliff drops over a mile in depth. The wavy lines of various shades of blue are caused by the differential coral growth relative to the warm/cool water transfer in and out of the tongue.

NASA Photo ID: STS005-37-839

Date Taken: 11/16/82