Attenuation of Light by Wavelength

    Light does not penetrate water evenly as it appears to.  It actually penetrates to different depths depending on the wavelength.  This means that red light only penetrates a short distance while violet light penetrates to the deepest depth of any visible light, about 275 feet.  Here's a practical application story.  During the time I was stationed in Okinawa,  I took a SCUBA certification course.  My dive partner and I bought tailor-made wetsuits which were cheap there at the time.  Mine was black and his was red...on the surface!  Only a few feet down, his suit began to change color and became darker and darker as we descended.

     The chart below provides the numerical data for each color's wavelength.  the graph at the bottom illustrates the percentage of each wavelength that penetrates to various depths.