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/

Travel creators explain why they skipped swimming with pigs

Living The Globe explain their decision not to swim with pigs during a Bahamas trip. Their video has chapters about price, breeding, bites and hogs. This is travel commentary about their choice, not an account that they were injured or witnessed a specific operator abusing animals.

Source: Living The Globe · June 6, 2022.

Honeymoon visitor describes pig bites and worries about the animals’ care

A traveler who had looked forward to Pig Beach says she left worried about the pigs instead. She describes scabbed skin, animals rushing toward food and a pig catching her finger in its jaws. Her World of Vegan article includes photographs, video and comments from Farm Sanctuary’s shelter director about sun exposure and bite injuries.

These are the writer’s observations and welfare concerns, not a veterinary inspection. The exact visit date is not established here, and the article notes that care varies among pig attractions. Its account of culling relies on what a local person told the writer.

Original video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bXu05QQKI0k

Cruise lawyer warns about parasite exposure during pig-swim excursions

A May 10, 2025 video from the cruiseshiplawyer account advises travelers against swimming with pigs and raises concerns about exposure to animal waste. Its caption also questions whether cruise passengers receive adequate warnings before booking.

This is a lawyer’s public commentary, not an official health alert, a laboratory-confirmed outbreak or a court ruling against a cruise line. It should not be counted as a separate confirmed illness incident. Open the original video to hear the argument and distinguish it from the personal illness accounts linked elsewhere in this archive.

Humane Society calls for an end to pushing exhausted pigs into tourist encounters

In a September 2, 2023 ZNS interview, the Bahamas Humane Society criticized how swimming pigs in Grand Bahama were being treated. Its president described animals being pushed and prodded when they appeared exhausted and said tourists were concerned too.

This is the Humane Society’s criticism as broadcast by ZNS, not a court finding or a new incident witnessed by this site. Related 2023 reporting already in the archive includes officials finding no evidence of mistreatment after an investigation. Watch the original 41-second segment for the speaker’s full comments.

Video coverage: woman describes a prolonged illness after a pig-swim trip

Cruise News Today’s May 8, 2025 report covers a woman’s claim that a lengthy illness began after a pig encounter near Nassau. The linked video’s pig-swim segment starts at 0:10. This is coverage of her account, not a medical case report proving where an infection originated.

Related discussion: The Royalty Adventure, May 16, 2025, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UkiQjrCZgwE . That video retells the illness story and other secondhand medical claims; those are not separate verified incidents.

Article: https://cruiseradio.net/woman-claims-6-year-health-nightmare-began-after-swimming-with-the-pigs-in-bahamas/

Travel writer describes large pigs, floating waste and welfare concerns

After an Exuma half-day tour, the writer says the pig stop did not match the images that had drawn her there. She describes large animals approaching for food, visible waste in the water and concerns about some pigs’ skin condition. She chose not to put her face in the water. Those are observations and impressions from her visit, not veterinary diagnoses or water-test findings. The article also includes her own photographs and explains that weather had canceled the longer tour.

Source: Chasing A. Sun, August 18, 2018.

Published medical case: severe leg infection after Bahamas swimming trip

A 2018 clinical case report describes a traveler who swam in resort pools and in the ocean with pigs after a recent skin biopsy. He developed severe cellulitis and a bloodstream infection caused by Shewanella, a marine bacterium. He recovered with antibiotics and did not require surgery. The case supports concern about seawater exposure through an open wound; it does not demonstrate that pigs transmitted the bacteria or identify a responsible excursion company.

Source: Dretler, Jacob and Rouphael, Case Reports in Infectious Diseases, October 24, 2018.

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.

UK warning: avoid baited water and check water-sports safety

UK travel advice warns that fatal shark attacks can occur without warning and identifies increased risk around dusk, at night and in baited water. It also describes poor regulation of water sports and reports of sexual assaults by jet-ski operators in Nassau. The advice is to consider these risks before swimming or hiring equipment. It does not say that every operator is unsafe or that all pig-swim locations have the same conditions.

Official UK government guidance checked September 20, 2026. Read the source for updates.

Guest flags pig-bite warning, jellyfish and limited shade on Pearl Island day trip

A visitor describing a September 2, 2024 excursion says staff warned guests they would need to handle any pig bite themselves. The account also mentions jellyfish stings, limited shade and a tiring walk back to the ship. It does not say the writer was bitten. The same reviewer praised the clear water, animal interaction and straightforward transfer, and said the day delivered what they expected overall.

Source: Royal Caribbean Blog community forum, posted September 11, 2024. This is a guest’s review, not an official cruise-line notice.

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.

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.

Paid pig-photo lines instead of a swim, CocoCay guest says

A March 2024 visitor says the excursion felt more like waiting to hold pigs for paid photographs than swimming with them. The couple paid about $265 and were disappointed by restrictions on personal photos and an additional photo charge. They also describe pigs defecating in the water and staff removing the waste. Those observations do not establish a tested water-quality violation or resulting illness.

Source: Reddit review of a Royal Caribbean CocoCay-area excursion.

Serious infection followed Bahamas vacation, but source of infection was not established

A traveler described becoming critically ill after returning from a Bahamas trip that included swimming with pigs and water slides. The report says he had an ankle scrape before those activities and was later treated for necrotizing fasciitis, requiring an extended recovery. It does not establish which activity, water exposure or organism caused the infection, or identify a responsible operator.

Source: Cruise Radio, published February 11, 2026. Timing after an excursion is not proof that the excursion caused the illness.

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.

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.

Pig deaths on Big Major Cay raised feeding and freshwater concerns in 2017

Several pigs died on Big Major Cay in 2017. National Geographic spoke to a Bahamas Humane Society inspector who pointed to sand in the animals’ stomachs and a dried-up freshwater source as possible contributing factors. Feeding on the beach was one concern. The article did not establish alcohol poisoning as the cause and distinguished careless visitors from responsible local operators.

Source: National Geographic.

Inside Edition also covered the 2017 pig deaths. The video presents contemporary claims, not a confirmed medical cause. Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ryIqPZ5H1mA

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.

A swim at Ocean Cay ended with a leg wound and stitches, visitor says

While swimming in a designated area at Ocean Cay, this visitor says they cut their leg on something submerged in the water and needed stitches. They were also unhappy with the response they received when they raised responsibility for the injury. The original post describes their experience and questions; it does not establish liability.

Source: Reddit public post.

Cloudy water, nipping pigs and rough stingray handling at Great Stirrup Cay

“The pigs will also nip at you if you’ve got food (which they give you to feed them).”

The visitor describes seeing a pig with diarrhea, cloudy water and staff collecting waste. At the stingray stop, they say guides held the animals at the surface for paid photos and restrained them when they struggled. They also say personal photos and videos were restricted. These are the visitor’s observations from the original Reddit post, not water-test results or a confirmed infection.

Source: Reddit public post.

Travelers pass along pig-bite and medical-evacuation stories in Eleuthera discussion

One story in this discussion describes a pig bite that reportedly took months to heal. Another describes a visitor being medically evacuated after visiting pigs. Both are secondhand accounts, not statements from the injured travelers. The thread does not establish which operator was involved or confirm the underlying incidents.

Source: Reddit public discussion.

Grand Bahama pig-tour operator disputed swimming and housing complaints in 2019

Complaints about a Grand Bahama pig attraction focused on animals allegedly being forced to swim and kept in unsuitable housing. In its April 2019 coverage, The Tribune also reported the operator’s denial and its account of veterinary checks. The allegations were disputed, not established findings in that article.

Source: The Tribune.

Pig-tour complaints led to an inspection; officials later reported no mistreatment

A video showing pigs being guided into the water at Crystal Beach prompted complaints and an investigation in August 2023. Visitors said the animals seemed distressed; Celebrity Eco Tours disputed mistreatment. Later coverage said officials found no evidence of mistreatment during their inspection, though rough conditions prevented them from observing the swimming activity that day.

Source: The Tribune; Nassau Guardian follow-up via BahamasLocal.

A Nassau pig bite led to urgent care, traveler says

After a pig-swim excursion in Nassau, this traveler says a bite became infected and they sought urgent care. They describe receiving antibiotics and rabies post-exposure treatment. That treatment does not mean the animal had rabies. The linked thread includes the traveler’s account and other visitors’ responses.

Source: Reddit public post.

Pig bites and dirty-water concerns come up in travelers’ excursion discussion

Travelers in this discussion describe pigs getting aggressive around visitors, a guest being bitten and concerns about dirty conditions. Some also worry about infections after contact with the water. These are separate comments about different trips, not one person’s account or a confirmed outbreak. The comments do not consistently identify an operator.

Source: Reddit public discussion.

Pigs appeared reluctant to swim and struggled in waves, guest says

The pig-swim stop was upsetting for this guest, who described animals that seemed unwilling to enter the water and struggled in the waves. Their review concerns a Nassau swimming-pigs and turtle excursion. The operator disputed mistreatment in its response on the listing.

Source: Tripadvisor public review.

Pig-bite lawsuit describes stitches and rabies fears

A cruise passenger says a Bahamas excursion ended in injury and preventive treatment.

Source: The Independent.