Coastal vegetation on San Salvador is sparse and scrubby. Scattered palms, which can achieve heights of 3.5 meters, dot the coast line. Inland vegetation is more diverse. It includes mangrove communities which thrive around the perimeters of San Salvador's many brackish water inland lakes, which you can see on the satellite image above and in the photograph to the left. These lakes are home to a variety of unusual species.
Wildlife abounds on the island and in the surrounding crystal clear water.
A visit to San Salvador offers many opportunities to explore incredibly diverse marine ecosystems. Open bed trucks provide transportation to the Bahamian Field Station as well as to field study sites. Operating from the site of a former U.S. Naval Base and Coast Guard Station, the Bahamian Field Station currently houses students and professionals from all over the United States who come to study San Salvador's geology, botany, culture, and marine life. The Field Station is located on the northwest end of the island overlooking Graham's Harbor. Labs and lecture rooms, as well as a library, are available for student use and research.