A spate of shark attacks and crime across the Bahamas has prompted US officials to reissue a travel advisory against the Caribbean nation right in the thick of the spring break travel rush.
The US State Department issued a new Level 2 travel warning against the Bahamas in late March, cautioning American travelers to “exercise increased caution” when visiting.
“Violent crime — like armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults — can occur anywhere in The Bahamas,” the state department cautioned, before describing an alarming list of crimes that have befallen tourists.
Among them are sexual assaults on white-sand beaches and at the hands of jet ski tour operators, gangland murders in Nassau, and burglaries at unprotected vacation rentals, according to officials.
Rogue boat operators have also become a problem, the State Department cautioned, explaining that many will take tourists out despite dangerous weather forecasts, and that the industry in Bahamas is so poorly regulated that injuries from accidents and poorly maintained equipment have become prevalent.
“Due to the risks, U.S. government employees are prohibited from using jet skis and personal watercraft rented from independent operators on New Providence and Paradise islands,” the advisory said.
But it’s not just what’s happening on the land and water that has officials apprehensive – danger has been increasingly lurking offshore under the waves.
“Stay alert for sharks. Shark attacks have led to serious injuries and death,” the State Department cautioned.
As recently as February, two American women were attacked by a shark while swimming in Bimini Bay. One suffered “serious” injuries and both were airlifted to a hospital.
And in December 2023, a 44-year-old Massachusetts woman was killed by a shark while paddleboarding off New Providence Island – with a boy being bit in the leg off Paradise Island the next month.
Level 2 advisories are the second out of four warning levels the state department issues. The most severe – Level 4 – warns Americans “do not travel.”
The Bahamas were already at a Level 2 before the State Department reissued and updated its warnings in March.