What type of buoy typically carries the highest risk of navigation hazards?

Danger buoys are specifically designed to indicate areas where navigation hazards exist. This could include submerged rocks, shoals, or other dangerous obstructions that could pose a risk to vessels. Unlike other types of buoys that may mark safe water or indicate a channel, danger buoys serve as a warning to mariners that they should avoid the marked area to prevent accidents or groundings.

Special purpose buoys often indicate specific information or regulatory requirements, safe water buoys mark locations where there is a navigable channel, and channel buoys help vessels navigate safely through established water routes. While these other buoys serve important navigational functions, they do not signal inherent dangers as prominently as danger buoys do, hence the high risk associated with them.