King Charles joined dancers at a Junkanoo parade in the Bahamas on the second day of his nine-day Caribbean visit, after engagements spanning military remembrance, youth sport and protection against climate change.

Holding maracas in the colours of the Bahamian flag, the King moved to the front of the parade in a suit and sunglasses as spectators cheered. A small protest nearby was moved on by police; the supplied account gives no details of its demands.

The celebration followed a more reflective arrival on Tuesday. At an event recognising young Bahamians, Charles described the country’s culture as “born out of darkness” and said it was “only right” to acknowledge historic injustices, referring to “the suffering of the past”. Junkanoo’s origins remain uncertain, but it is believed to have emerged when enslaved people were given time off at Christmas.

The second day began with remembrance. Charles spoke to service personnel and laid a wreath at the Flamingo Monument, commemorating four Royal Bahamas Defence Force Marines killed when Cuban MiG aircraft sank HMBS Flamingo in May 1980.

At the Bahamas Boxing Academy, which trains boys and girls aged eight to 18, he watched two young fighters sparring. Young boxers and the head coach wore T-shirts depicting him with a crown, boxing gloves and a championship belt. Jermaine Gibson, president of a neighbouring boxing club, said the King liked the design and received a shirt. “I might see you at a Commonwealth Games,” Charles told children.

Environmental protection, a theme of the tour, took him to Bonefish Pond National Park. Once a rubbish dump, the redeveloped site protects 1,235 acres of mangroves. Charles followed a new boardwalk through the wetlands and asked students conducting fieldwork about their exams and ambitions to become marine biologists.

Joanne Smith, president of the Bahamas National Trust Council, welcomed the visit as significant and said she wanted more Bahamians to benefit from using national parks. The conservation work aims to protect the vulnerable, low-lying island against climate change.

At a Government House garden reception in Nassau, Charles met Bahamians recognised for contributions to public life. Governor General Dame Cynthia A Pratt expressed pride in his first visit since 1973 and hoped it would strengthen ties between the Crown and Bahamians.

He leaves for Guyana on Thursday, with engagements focused on the environment and biodiversity, before joining Queen Camilla in Antigua and Barbuda for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. He will deliver a keynote speech as Commonwealth leader at the biennial gathering of 56 countries. Planned with the three governments, the tour combines acknowledgement of the past with opportunities for future generations.