Conception Island, located to the north of Rum Cay, was the third island where Christopher Columbus landed in The Bahamas in 1492, after San Salvador and Rum Cay. It was designated in 1964 as one of the National Parks of The Bahamas, and it's an important sanctuary for migratory birds, nesting seabirds and a hatching site for the endangered green turtle. The island has also been designated as an Important Bird Area. During spring and summer, seabirds use it as a breeding site. It's believed that Conception Island has the largest concentration of nesting tropic birds in The Bahamas, and that Booby Cay at the northwest corner of the island has one of the largest sooty tern and brown noddy colonies.

Conception Island's protected marine area includes a vast Montastraea reef to the north of the island and is the largest continuous example of such a habitat in the Caribbean. The lagoon has mangrove stands and extensive beds of laurencia red algae, which provide an important nursery habitat for young Nassau grouper and spiny lobster. The island also has a large protected cove with shallow water and groves of staghorn coral you can swim through just below the water's surface. It's great for snorkeling and diving.

Click here to see the park's boundaries.

This National Park offers an array of recreational activities for visitors, including birding diving, and snorkeling.

Year Round

Fees: None

The site may not be suitable for persons in a wheelchair, or with mobility impairments, due to the sandy terrain.

No pets are allowed in National Parks, in order to protect endangered wildlife.