In an unsettling incident, two American tourists were injured in what authorities are calling an “alleged shark attack” while swimming in the waters of Bimini Bay, located in the western Bahamas.
The attack reportedly took place on a Friday evening, around 6:30 p.m., in the Bimini Bay area—a renowned tourist hotspot known for its stunning beaches and rich fishing opportunities. According to the Royal Bahamas Police Force, the women were treated initially at a local clinic after the attack.
Following initial treatment, the tourists were airlifted to a hospital in New Providence for more extensive care. Of particular concern is one of the women, who sustained injuries described as serious, stated the local police.
The occurrence of such incidents in the Bahamas is rare. Historical data from the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File reveals that there have been only 34 recorded unprovoked shark attacks in the Bahamas since 1580. This positions the Caribbean nation ninth in the global count of shark attack incidents, with the United States, Australia, and South Africa leading the statistics with 1,640, 706, and 262 cases, respectively.
Interestingly, this recent episode marks at least the third reported shark-related incident involving American tourists in the Bahamas since 2023. Previous incidents included a ten-year-old child from Maryland who was bitten during a resort shark tank expedition in January 2024, and a tragic attack in December 2023 when a 44-year-old woman from Boston was fatally bitten while paddleboarding near a resort.
Despite the rarity of such occurrences, the recent spate of shark attacks in the Bahamas raises concerns around the safety of tourist activities in the region. Authorities continue to investigate the latest incident to ensure a comprehensive understanding and prevent future occurrences.
