Bathymetry
by ZipeStudio
Bathymetry is a client-side mod that tints underwater terrain so that the water color shows how deep the sea floor is beneath it.
What it does
Water color follows depth. Shallow areas stay lighter and deeper areas darken, so a player can read the shape of a sea floor or a drop-off from the surface. The tint is applied to the water color only, and the mod keeps the biome tint multiplying the existing colors instead of replacing them, which leaves biome colors and resource pack changes working.
The mod is configurable through Mod Menu and YetAnotherConfigLib, and settings update in game without a restart. Bathymetry needs Fabric API and MossyLib. Files are published for Fabric, Forge and NeoForge across the 1.20.1 – 26.3 range, with 1.0.4 as the latest build for each loader, and the code is under the Creative Commons Attribution No Derivatives 4.0 license, so the mod is not open source.
Only the client needs the mod, so players join a server without installing it. Source code and an issue tracker are linked publicly.
Key features
Depth-based water color
Water shifts between a shallow tint and a deep tint according to the distance from the surface to the bottom.
Adjustable gradient range
The depth at which the gradient ramps up can be set, along with the strength of the effect and the two tint colors.
Smooth edges
Across large drop-offs, a smoothing radius spreads the color change out, so the seabed does not show a sharp line.
Underwater fog
When the player is submerged, fog thickens with depth, and a maximum-depth visibility distance can be set. It is disabled by default.
Gallery
Compatibility
Latest build for each game version and loader.
Only full game releases are shown. This mod publishes no snapshot builds.
Requirements
Dependencies declared by the latest file for each loader.
Required 2
Optional 2
Use cases
Reading ocean floors
Players exploring open water or cave lakes can judge where a ledge or trench begins without diving to check.
Who it’s for: Players who want the water in their world to show its depth, including those using resource packs or datapacks that change biome colors.
How it compares
Water Depth Fog is a NeoForge-only option for 1.21.1 that also works client-side, but it is not open source and is released under All rights reserved. No Fog covers Fabric, Forge and NeoForge for 1.19 – 26.3 and is client-side only, which makes it an alternative for players who want less fog rather than depth-tinted water. Pressure runs on both client and server for Forge and NeoForge across 1.19.2 – 1.20.6, so it requires server installation where Bathymetry does not.
| Mod | Loaders | Game versions | Environment | Updated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bathymetry | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.20.1 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-29 |
| Water Depth Fog | NeoForge | 1.21.1 | Client-side only | 2026-07-21 |
| No Fog | Fabric, Forge and NeoForge | 1.19 – 26.3 | Client-side only | 2026-09-16 |
| Pressure | Forge and NeoForge | 1.19.2 – 1.20.6 | Client and server | 2024-12-11 |
Questions
Does Bathymetry need to be installed on the server?
Which loaders does Bathymetry support for the latest version?
Are the Bathymetry settings changeable without restarting?
In the catalog
Bathymetry is one of 7,555 Cursed mods on ModsFinder, and one of 4,235 Cursed mods for Fabric. 8,071 mods support Minecraft 26.3.
More from ZipeStudio
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What the author says
Bathymetry — A Client-side mod that visualizes underwater terrain depth through water color. In vanilla, a puddle will look the same as a deep ocean. This mod changes the water's color depending on the depth from the surface to the bottom. Shalllows will look the same but the deeper you go the darker the water gets.
Official listing
- Modrinth page
- modrinth.com/mod/bathymetry
- Owner
- ZipeStudio
- Published
- 2026-08-14
- Updated on Modrinth
- 2026-09-29
- Facts verified
- 2026-10-15