Tongue of the Ocean cuts between shallow Bahamian banks
The “Tongue of the Ocean” is a deep oceanic trench in The Bahamas, bordered on either side by shallow carbonate platforms. These banks of limestone sediment lie just below the sea surface and extend between Andros Island to the west and the Exuma Cays to the east. The abrupt change in depth along the steep flanks of the trench produces a strong contrast between its dark blue waters and the surrounding turquoise banks.
This near cloud-free image of the Tongue of the Ocean was acquired by one of the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellites on 9 November 2025. Sandbanks and reef structures are visible in lighter tones, while scattered clouds cast small shadows over the water surface.
Copernicus Sentinel-2 provides high-resolution optical imagery which supports the monitoring of coastal zones, marine habitats, sediment dynamics, and island environments worldwide.
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