Images
May 12, 2026 - The Florida Straits
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Bright jewel tones sparkled in the Straits of Florida, around the Bahamas, and off of Cuba in on May 1, 2026, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired this true-color image.
The large swaths of glowing peacock blue owe their color to shallow water depths. The underwater terrain is hilly in this entire area, with rises coupled with deep drop offs. The most striking feature is the massive Great Bahama Bank, an underwater hill underlying Andros Island (west), Eleuthera Island (east) and multiple islands in between. In the center, the dark tongue-shaped area marks a steep plunge of the ocean floor.
Other features seen in this image include southern Florida and the Florida Keys northwest of the Grand Bahama Bank and Cuba in the south. Due south of Florida and north of Cuba is Cay Sal Bank, an important breeding ground for seabirds and part of the Bahamas. Treasure Island and Great Abaco Island, also part of the Bahamas, sit in the northeast.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/1/2026
Resolutions:
1km (286.8 KB), 500m (687.1 KB), 250m (963.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
Bright jewel tones sparkled in the Straits of Florida, around the Bahamas, and off of Cuba in on May 1, 2026, when the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) acquired this true-color image.
The large swaths of glowing peacock blue owe their color to shallow water depths. The underwater terrain is hilly in this entire area, with rises coupled with deep drop offs. The most striking feature is the massive Great Bahama Bank, an underwater hill underlying Andros Island (west), Eleuthera Island (east) and multiple islands in between. In the center, the dark tongue-shaped area marks a steep plunge of the ocean floor.
Other features seen in this image include southern Florida and the Florida Keys northwest of the Grand Bahama Bank and Cuba in the south. Due south of Florida and north of Cuba is Cay Sal Bank, an important breeding ground for seabirds and part of the Bahamas. Treasure Island and Great Abaco Island, also part of the Bahamas, sit in the northeast.
Image Facts
Satellite:
Aqua
Date Acquired: 5/1/2026
Resolutions:
1km (286.8 KB), 500m (687.1 KB), 250m (963.1 KB)
Bands Used: 1,4,3
Image Credit:
MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC
