Bahamas safety reports

Two women injured by a shark while swimming in Bimini Bay

ABC News reported that two American women were injured by a shark while swimming in Bimini Bay in February 2025. Coverage describes their transfer to Florida hospitals for treatment. Local 10 reported that they had been aboard a boat with friends; a commercial excursion operator was not established.

Source: ABC News · February 11, 2025.

Additional source: https://www.local10.com/video/news/2025/02/11/2-women-bitten-by-shark-in-bahamas/

Boat worker describes surviving shark bites at a Long Island marina

WPLG interviewed a Florida man about surviving shark bites in the southern Bahamas on April 26, 2024. Associated Press reporting says he fell into the water beside a docked boat at Flying Fish Marina and later underwent surgery in Florida. He was working aboard a boat, not reported to be a paying excursion guest; no operator negligence is established here.

Source: WPLG Local 10 · May 9, 2024.

Additional source: https://apnews.com/article/791ad353ca38d4170bd33006d24ddde0

CDC travel guidance: food, drinking water and animal-contact precautions

CDC’s Bahamas traveler page links advice on safe food and drinks, avoiding contaminated water and staying safe around animals. Its water guidance includes not swallowing swimming water, following beach warnings and using life jackets for boating. It also advises avoiding unfamiliar animals and contact with animal waste. This is preventive travel-health guidance, not an announcement of a pig-beach outbreak or a finding that a named restaurant or resort is contaminated.

Official CDC source checked September 20, 2026.

U.S. travel advisory: increased caution, boating risks and beach safety

The U.S. State Department’s July 28, 2026 Bahamas advisory is Level 2: exercise increased caution because of crime. It warns about poorly regulated boating, reported sexual assaults by jet-ski operators, shark attacks and swimmers overestimating their abilities. It also restricts U.S. government employees from renting personal watercraft from independent operators on New Providence and Paradise Islands. This is country-level travel guidance, not a finding against a named business or a specific pig excursion.

Official source checked September 20, 2026. Open the advisory for current guidance.

Guest reports rough seas and a loose fire extinguisher; operator disputes details

A visitor on the January 2, 2025 Pink Sand Beach and Swimming Pigs trip says rough seas frightened passengers and a fire extinguisher narrowly missed them. Born Free responded that the crew had assessed conditions as safe and disputed the stated extinguisher weight, saying its units are three pounds and mounted near the floor. The operator also disputed the guest’s conduct during the trip. The source records both sides; it does not establish a safety violation or an injury.

Source: TripAdvisor review of January 6, 2025, and operator response of January 7.

Rough return ride left guests bruised and shivering, reviewer says

A February 2026 reviewer describes a frightening two-hour return ride from Exuma, saying the group was soaked, bruised and not given life vests. Aqua Shores responded that sea conditions were assessed as safe, its boats carry required safety equipment, and life vests are available to wear on request. It said it cancels trips when conditions are unsafe and that open-water travel may not suit every family. The complaint and response describe a disagreement about that trip, not a regulatory finding.

Source: TripAdvisor, “Not safe, awful experience,” and management response of February 23, 2026.

One passenger died after Blue Lagoon excursion ferry took on water

A crowded double-decker excursion ferry took on water near Paradise Island on November 14, 2023. The Tribune reported that one passenger died and others were rescued. Police described rough conditions and more than 100 people aboard. This report concerns that specific ferry incident; it does not establish the medical cause of death or the operator’s current safety status.

Source: The Tribune, November 14, 2023.

Passenger lost both legs in propeller incident after Pearl Island excursion

A lawsuit describes a May 12, 2025 excursion ending with a passenger in the water beside a catamaran, where a propeller caused injuries requiring both legs to be amputated. She alleges unsafe alcohol service and that staff directed her to use the sea as a toilet. Pearl Island and Sun Cay sought dismissal of the Florida case on jurisdictional grounds. That filing is not a ruling on what happened or who was responsible.

Source: The Tribune, May 26, 2026. Lawsuit allegations, not established findings.

Passenger says pig-tour boat struck a fisherman on the way to Rose Island

A Reddit poster describing a February 14, 2024 J&S Tours trip says their boat hit a fisherman, transferred the injured person to another vessel and then continued the excursion. The passenger was upset about the response and says a refund was refused. The post also raises concern about the captain’s phone use; according to the same account, the captain said he was using navigation, not selecting music. The linked post includes a video link, but the account is not an official finding of fault.

Source: Reddit passenger account.

Bench collapsed before pig excursion reached the island, lawsuit says

A passenger says a boat bench gave way about ten minutes into a Carnival-sold Swimming with the Pigs: Express excursion on March 24, 2025. She alleges that she fell onto the deck and injured her tailbone and spine, and that the boat returned without reaching the pigs. The account comes from a lawsuit filed in March 2026. These are the passenger’s allegations, not a court finding about the boat operator or Carnival.

Source: Cruise Overload’s report on the lawsuit.

Fatal shark attack during Green Cay snorkeling trip in September 2022

A visitor died after a shark attack while snorkeling near Green Cay on September 6, 2022. The Tribune identified the excursion operator as Seas the Day and reported that it temporarily stopped operating after the incident. The owner described crew rescue efforts, including bringing the visitor aboard. That historical suspension does not establish the business’s current status, and the report does not establish operator negligence. This was a different company and incident from Seas N’ Cays.

Source: The Tribune, September 13, 2022.