The King reminisced on his early trips to the Bahamian island of Eleuthera in the 1970s as he toured Bonefish Pond National Park to learn about climate resilience and environmental restoration work being carried out by the Bahamas National Trust.
He walked along a wooden boardwalk as he was shown how the Park’s unique wetland ecosystem is being conserved and used to educate the public about conservation.
As he watched schoolchildren searching for spiny lobster and shrimp in the water off a pavilion, he heard about efforts to conserve fish such asGrouper, Snapper and Bonefish.
"I remember years ago when I used to go to Eleuthera, the creeks there were full of them." Told the juvenile fish take shelter in the mangroves, he said: "Then they swim out."
As a young man, Prince Charles visited The Bahamas privately on several occasions, including a couple of trips with his first wife, Diana, Princess of Wales. They spent part of their honeymoon on Windermere Island, off Eleuthera, in 1981.
On Wednesday, Charles appeared fascinated as he chatted to the local teenagers about their project and watched as they inspected a piece of old air conditioning filter material made from horsehair, that had been submerged in the water and was now home to several creatures, including a blue crab and some tiny shrimp.
He was also introduced to Tenaj Thompson, head boy at The Bahamas Academy, who welcomed him by saying, "It is an honour to meet you." The King peppered him with questions about his studies. Told he was in 12th grade and studying nine subjects, Charles replied: "A genius in the making!"
One of the teaching staff there greeted him with a reference to his speech at the Youth Rally. "You reach, Your Majesty!"
© Getty Images"It's a miracle!" the King replied with a laugh. "That's the only problem that it’s taken me so long to come back here."
"We are just happy to have you here," he was told.
© Getty ImagesTold that more than 2,000 children had taken part in educational projects at the park, he said: “It's difficult to understand why they [the mangroves] matter, if you’re not told. That can make a big difference, to unlock that interest. To get them out, out of school, so they are not always in the classroom. It’s easier to learn it out here."
The King inherited the role of Patron of the Bahamas National Trust in 2024. His father Prince Philip served as patron of the Trust from 1959 to 2017, when he retired from public life.
© Getty ImagesHe watched as another group of children kayaked through the wetlands as part of an educational programme. "I remember when I had to learn to roll [in a kayak]. You can put the paddle on the bottom, that’s the great thing."
Bonefish Pond National Park, one of 33 managed by the Trust across the Bahamas, was created by clearing a former rubbish dump and restoring the 1,235 acres mangrove forest, tidal creeks and seagrass habitat, which is home to fish and shorebirds.
© Getty ImagesThe mangroves serve as a buffer to rising water levels and capture and store carbon, protecting against storm surges and supporting fisheries.
After walking the boardwalk, the King unveiled a plaque to commemorate his visit and planted a silver buttonwood, sometimes called a 'silver mangrove', which is indigenous to the Bahamas coastline, shovelling soil over the roots and giving the branches a gentle shake with his hand to "wish it luck".
© POOL/AFP via Getty ImagesTold it could reach full height within 20 years, the King replied: "If I'm still alive I hope to see it grow into something bigger."
Before leaving, he met staff from the BNT and was presented with a coloured pencil print of a red mangrove.
