The natural features of the Caribbean, Puerto Rico, & the Lesser Antilles are described in an easy-to-understand style. This is a series of brief write-ups of features that would otherwise require a long bookshelf of readings to comprehend. From a career in oceanography involving considerable experience in the Caribbean, the author's familiarity with the topics covered is quite evident. The readings serve to enrich the observations & explorations of travelers & residents in the region. Many points discussed apply equally to the Florida Keys & the Bahamas. The opening write-up of "The Island Arc" of the Greater & Lesser Antilles sets the stage for all that follows. Similarly, the next section, "The Surrounding Sea", orients the reader to the environment. As many readers may be sailing or aboard ship, the writing moves immediately to observations to be made while underway. The accounts that follow cover coral reefs, fisheries, the floral landscape, discovery, conservation, law of the sea applications, & much more. Checklists of much of the flora & fauna & do-it-yourself challenges are suggested with pages for the reader's own notes.