TODAY IS WORLD WATER DAY. The international holiday was first set up by the United Nations in 1993 as a way to get people thinking about how we can better provide clean water to everyone on earth. It sounds like it should be easy, but it’s actually a monumental task — a lot of water is wasted, and a lot of the world is stuck drinking contaminated water.
It's World Water Day. Here Are 19 Beautiful Reasons to Participate.
One of the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals is to give everyone in the world access to clean water by 2030, so they’re working with governments around the world to try and move us towards a cleaner planet.
We here at Matador are water freaks — our staff is jam-packed with divers, surfers, snorkelers, kayakers, and skiiers (and we like to drink the stuff, too). So we thought we’d dive into our archives and into our travelstoke app to find some of the most beautiful pictures of water we’ve ever taken. To learn more about World Water Day, check out the UN site. 
Located in the remote province of Palawan, Linapacan is surrounded by quiet beaches and super clear water.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
Known as the world’s largest coral-reef system and the most popular diving location on the planet, the Great Barrier Reef is submerged in clear, blue water. Thanks to this clarity, the reef can be seen from space.
Photo: Scott Sporleder
It is an easily accessible waterfall as the parking lot is just a few hundred feet from the falls.
The Sua Trench in Samoa. Photo: Abhimanyu Sabnis
Newport Beach, California. Photo: Scott Sporleder
Boardman LakeGranite Falls, United StatesLooking down on Boardman Lake with my drone.
The hike to the lake is just 2 miles roundtrip with 300 feet of elevation gain. #hiking
Cloudbreak, Tavarua, Fiji. Photo: Scott Sporleder
One of the most low-key destinations on our list, the Cayos Cochinos are protected by the Honduran government and remain off limits to commercial fishing. The islets are a true example of the word “pristine”—and we all know how overused that is. They’re also home to some of the best, and mostly still undiscovered, scuba diving in the world.
Photo: Scott Sporleder