Bahamas safety reports

U.S. prosecutors announce drug-trafficking charges involving Bahamian officials

U.S. prosecutors announced charges against thirteen defendants in November 2024 over an alleged cocaine-importation operation involving Bahamian officials and routes through the islands. The indictment alleged bribery and misuse of official authority. The announcement states that the charges are accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent; it is not a verdict or a claim against every Bahamian official.

Source: U.S. Department of Justice · November 27, 2024.

Shark sighting prompted staff to clear swimmers from the water

A guest visiting Rose Island in June 2022 says they spotted a large shark and alerted staff, who immediately got everyone out of the water. The guest enjoyed the beach, lunch and other parts of the Sandy Toes excursion but felt uncomfortable swimming afterward. This is a reported sighting, not a shark attack on that guest. The review’s speculation connecting other attacks to the same operator is not established by this account.

Source: TripAdvisor review posted November 7, 2022.

Pigs kept in cages and brought out for tourist photos, visitor says

An April 2025 visitor was upset by the way pigs were handled at Sand Dollar Beach. The review describes animals being released from cages in turns, prodded with an object and guided to food in the water before being put back. The guest also says a piglet was passed between tourists for photographs. These are the reviewer’s observations and welfare concerns, not an official animal-welfare inspection.

Source: TripAdvisor review “Terrible, sad, ugly,” April 15, 2025.

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.

Family questions emergency response after fatal Rose Island shark attack

A June 2019 snorkeling trip ended with a visitor being killed by a shark. Her family questioned the emergency response, saying staff did not enter the water to help and that first-aid supplies and treatment were unavailable. Sandy Toes disputed criticism of its response, saying its staff acted swiftly, followed established procedures and took reasonable preventive measures. The linked report presents the family’s allegations and the operator’s position, not a finding of negligence.

Source: Eyewitness News, July 11, 2019.

Little beach time and no pig swim, guest says

The family enjoyed parts of the day but felt the trip fell short for the price. Their December 2024 review describes roughly 20 minutes of snorkeling in rough water, a brief turtle sighting and waves making the Rose Island landing difficult. They fed the pigs rather than swimming with them and had little beach time.

Seas ’n Cays responded that, if this was the December 24 trip, it provided boat transport for another company, not the tour. It said the photographed location was not one of its stops and offered to relay the feedback.

Source: TripAdvisor review, ‘Good but not great. Not worth the cost.’, December 24, 2024, and operator response. Source-linked summary, not a firsthand submission to this site.

Illness after a pig swim and animal-care concerns in a Rose Island versus Freeport discussion

One participant describes fever, a headache and a severe UTI after swimming with pigs. Others question whether pigs at some Grand Bahama attractions are confined and coaxed into the water. These are different accounts in a discussion comparing Rose Island with Freeport, not a single incident. The thread does not establish the cause of the illness or identify one responsible operator.

Source: Reddit public discussion.