Thursday's thirteen: Bahamas

Since my first book, Windswept Shores, is going to be out next month, I though I would share some research on my story setting.

Thirteen facts about the Bahamas:

1. The Bahamas lie just 60 miles off the coast of Florida.
2. The Bahamas is its own country; the Commonwealth of the Bahamas.
3. The shallow sea is teal colored and at night an iridescent purple.
4. Not only does the Bahamas have the best sports fishing, but also tropical fish like what you see at the pet store. Its an excellent place to go scuba diving. 
5. The Bahamas is the only place you can get spiny lobster, a local delicacy.
6. Another local delicacy that you can't get any where else is made from conk, a shellfish, which they use to make conk chips and soups.
7. Their dolphins are spotted. The Dolphin Encounter Tours, available at most of the larger islands, will take you out to swim with the dolphins.
8. The Bahamas is home to pink flamingos.
9. They also have large iguanas that live on most of the islands.
10. There are over three hundred islands and cays, but only about eighty are inhabited.
11. The Bahamas are warm almost year round.
12. The get over 50 inches of rain a year on average.
13. The capital of the Bahamas, Nassau, was once a pirate republic, and local hang out for the notorious Pirates; Black beard, Charles Cane, Calico Jack Rackham, along with women pirates; Anne Bonny and Mary Read.