Colors appear different underwater due to how light behaves as it travels through water. Water acts as a filter, absorbing different wavelengths of light at varying depths. Red light is absorbed first, typically disappearing around 15-20 feet deep. Orange and yellow follow, while blue light penetrates the deepest.
This filtering effect means that:
- Red objects appear dark or black below 15-20 feet
- Orange and yellow objects become increasingly grey as depth increases
- Blue and green objects maintain their color the longest
- White objects often appear bluish in deeper water