The main geographic characteristics of the region have been studied by Christopher Columbus during his travels. During the first two expeditions (1492 and 1493 he was.) They were open to the Bahamas, Greater Antilles and the northern islands of the Lesser Antilles arc. The third expedition (1498) opened the island of Trinidad and the Gulf of Paria. The fourth expedition, which lasted from 1502 to 1504 years and has become the latest to Columbus, navigator sent farther west in an attempt to find a passage in the Indian Ocean. During this journey, were investigated coast of Honduras, Mosquito, Costa Rica and the Panama isthmus, as well as the Gulf of Moskitos and northern part of the Gulf of Darién. Juan de la Cosa, who commanded one of the first expedition ship, according to the travel of Columbus, Amerigo Vespucci (1497, 1498), as well as John and Sebastian Cabot (1497, 1498) was in 1500, the first map of the New World.
Continuing to explore new lands, the Spanish conquistador Alonso de Ojeda discovered in 1499 the island of Curaçao and the Lake Maracaibo and the expedition led by Rodrigo de Bastidas and Vasco Nuñez de Balboa explored the mouth of the Magdalena River, and about 1000 km of coastline, including the Gulf of Darién and the Gulf of Uraba. In 1507, Martin Valdzemyuller on the results of studies made its version of the world map, which was first called "America". A little later, in 1538, Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator published a map on which the entire new continent was named America.
A significant contribution to the study of nature the Caribbean in the late XVII century, introduced English bukanir and explorer William Dampier. German traveler and explorer Alexander von Humboldt devoted several years (1799-1804) study of geographical, geological, climatic and biological characteristics of the region.
In 1856 the French navigational guide appeared accurate map of the Caribbean Sea, which included the scheme prevailing currents. In 1873 the Caribbean Sea was studied during the British expedition of the Challenger, then in the years 1877-1889 the area studied in more detail by the Americans. In the period from 1872 to 1878 years, NOAA officials had a precise sonar measurements and made the first modern bathymetric map of the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico.
Danish and American expeditions from 1913 to 1930, including studies conducted by Institute of Oceanography at Woods Hall, with the help of the ship "Atlantis" in 1934, initiated the systematic study of the Caribbean, which continues to this day. The appearance in the arsenal of scientists and research aqualung submarine led to increased scientific activity in the second half of XX century.