Departing on your liveaboard field trip from Nassau ensures that you will spend your time ashore exploring the mostly uninhabited islands of the Exumas, which offer pristine beaches and excellent shallow water snorkeling, making data collection and observation easy for students of all experience levels. While sailing in the southern Bahamas your group can hike the unique trails of the Exumas Land and Sea Park, and compare the plant populations in protected and unprotected areas of the Bahamas. The Land and Sea Park is the Caribbean's first marine fishery reserve, as well as the home of the Bahamas' only native terrestrial mammal, the hutia. Students will also be able to investigate a variety of indigenous wildlife while exploring the mangroves Shroud Cay. Another popular land-based destination in the Exumas is Allan's Cay, where the native population of large iguanas makes a great research topic. The predominantly uninhabited islands of the Exumas also constitute a renowned bird-watching territory, popular with migrating species, and a nesting area for many rare seabirds. The reefs, mangroves, iguana filled islands, and the largest protected area in the Bahamas become the ultimate field site for exploration and research.