Nestled amidst the turquoise waters of the Atlantic, the Bahamas boasts an array of vibrant marine life that attracts thousands of tourists yearly. Yet, as these pristine waters invite countless swimmers, divers, and adventure-seekers, the realm of the deep also hides its apex predator: the shark. While shark attacks are relatively rare in Bahmas, it’s vital to stay informed and cautious. This page offers weekly updates on shark attacks in Bahamas, shedding light on the delicate balance between marine conservation, tourism, and human interaction with these majestic creatures.
Recent Shark Attacks in Bahamas
| Date / Time | Country / Area | Activity | Name | Sex / Age | Injury | Species |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 06-07-2023 13h00 | BAHAMAS ,Freeport | Scuba diving | Heidi Ernst | F /73 | Calf severely bitten | Caribbean rreef shark |
| 05-24-2023 Night | BAHAMAS ,Lucayan Lucayan Archipelago | Jumped overboard | Cameron Robbins | M /18 | Presumed fatal, body not rcovered | Shark involvement not confirmes |
| 10-28-2022 | BAHAMAS | Diving | male | M | Torso bitten | |
| 09-06-2022 14h00 | BAHAMAS | Snorkeling | female | F /58 | FATAL | Bull shark |
| 02-21-2022 12h50 | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Diving | male | M /51 | Arm bitten | |
| 02-10-2022 | BAHAMAS | Eniko Hart | F /37 | Minor injury | Nurse shark | |
| 07-11-2021 | BAHAMAS | Jackass Team's publicity stunt for Discovery Channel's Shark Week 2021 | Sean McInerney | M | Lacerations to right hand PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 10-30-2020 | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Spearfishing | Anthony Feaster | M | Hand/wrist bitten | Reef shark |
| 06-20-2020 | BAHAMAS ,Exumas | |||||
| 05-31-2020 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | male | M | Lacerations to left hand | Bull shark, 8' |
| 01-30-2020 | BAHAMAS ,Exumas | Floating | Ana Bruna Avila | F /24 | PROVOKED INCIDENT Scratches to left wrist | |
| 07-04-2019 17h30 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Snorkeling | male | M /32 | Unknown | |
| 06-26-2019 14h00 | BAHAMAS ,Lucayan Archipelago | Snorkeling | Jordan Lindsey | F /21 | FATAL | |
| 06-21-2019 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Jonathan Hernandez | M | Lacerations to left calf | |
| 06-17-2019 | BAHAMAS | Snorkeling | Salvador Ritz | M /50 | Injuries to left lower leg | |
| 11-09-2018 13h30 | BAHAMAS ,Exumas | Swimming | Asher Jones | M /8 | Arc of shallow lacerations to back | Nurse shark |
| 09-23-2018 13h42 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Maggie Ewing | F /32 | Lacerations to fingers | Blacktip shark |
| 08-28-2018 | BAHAMAS | Diving | Itzik Yogev | M | Right foream bitten | Lemon shark |
| 08-20-2018 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Will Krause | M /29 | Lacerations to head and neck | Reef shark |
| 08-15-2018 08h30 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Standing | Kate Inskip | F /56 | Injury to lower left leg | Nurse shark |
| 07-09-2018 | BAHAMAS ,The Exuma Cays | Floating | Katarina Zarutskie | F /19 | Minor injury to wrist | Nurse shark, 5' |
| 04-14-2018 09h30 | BAHAMAS ,New Providence | Surfing | Bruce Rowan | M | No Injury. Shark swam away with the surf board | Tiger shark |
| 04-05-2018 18h00 | BAHAMAS | Swimming | Shane McConnell | M /12 | 2 puncture wounds to left foot, abrasion to right foot | Bull shark |
| 12-09-2017 | BAHAMAS | Snorkeling | Sarah Illig-Carroll | F /25 | Minor injury to arm | Nurse shark. 5' |
| 08-18-2017 15h00 | BAHAMAS | Spearfishing | male | M | Hand injured | 5' shark |
| 07-27-2017 | BAHAMAS ,New Providence District | Snorkeling | female | F | Foot & ankle injured | |
| 07-26-2017 | BAHAMAS ,40 miles off Grand Bahama Island | Spearfishing | Michael Massey | M | Severe lacerations to left hand | |
| 06-14-2017 | BAHAMAS | Feeding sharks | Carly | F | Fingernail pulled off | |
| 06-02-2017 Shortly before 12h00 | BAHAMAS ,New Providence | Snorkeling | Tiffany Johnson | F /32 | Right forearm severed | Tiger shark |
| 03-09-2017 | BAHAMAS ,The Exuma Cays | Washing hands | George Keywood | M /58 | Abrasions & lacerations to left leg and hand | Lemon shark |
| 03-01-2017 | BAHAMAS ,The Exuma Cays | Floating | Mareen | F | Minor injury to hand | Nurse shark |
| 02-01-2017 | BAHAMAS ,Bimini | Scuba Diving | Freek Vonk | M /37 | Lacerations to upper right arm | Caribbean reef shark |
| 08-07-2016 | BAHAMAS ,New Providence Island | Snorkeling | Johnny Stoch | M /15 | Lacerations to left leg | |
| 07-23-2016 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Steve Cutbirth | M | Lacerations to face and right leg | Bull shark, 6' |
| 07-14-2016 | BAHAMAS | Scuba Diving | Michael Dornellas | M | Face bruised when partly blind shark collided with him | Lemon shark, 9' |
| 03-26-2016 | BAHAMAS | Henry Kreckman | M /9 | Minor injury to chest PROVOKED INCIDENT | Nurse shark, 2.5-ft | |
| 12-11-2015 | BAHAMAS | Lobster fishing | Richard Pinder | M /26 | Bitten on thigh, abdomen & hand | Bull shark |
| 07-04-2015 | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Spearfishing | Katie Hester | F /23 | Lacerations to lower leg & ankle | 6' shark |
| 01-06-2015 16h00 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Snorkeling | Lacy Webb | F /34 | Severe bite to right flank | White shark or oceanic whitetip shark |
| 08-09-2014 | BAHAMAS | Spearfishing | Andrew Hindley | M | Puncture wounds to right foot and ankle | Bull shark, 9' to 10' |
| 07-13-2014 Night | BAHAMAS ,West End | Shark diving | John Petty | M /63 | Missing after a dive, shark involvement considered probable, but not confirmed | Shark involvement not confirmed |
| 06-25-2014 13h00 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Mark Adams | M /42 | No injury but shark took his pole spear | Caribbean reef shark, 7' to 8' |
| 11-10-2013 11h00 | BAHAMAS | Shark fishing | male | M /77 | Injuries to arm & leg by hooked shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | |
| 09-01-2013 | BAHAMAS | boy | M | Leg injured | ||
| 08-31-2013 | BAHAMAS | Spearfishing | Bryan Collins | M | Lower left leg bitten | Blacktip shark |
| 07-28-2013 16h45 | BAHAMAS ,Exuma Islands | Cleaning fish | male | M /64 | Bitten on left hand | Nurse shark |
| 07-28-2013 16h05 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Erik Norrie | M /40 | Leg bitten | 6' shark |
| 07-28-2013 11h15 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Diving | male | M /50 | Bitten on rear lower extremities | |
| 03-21-2013 | BAHAMAS ,Eleuthera | Fly fishing | Kerry Anderson | M /50 | Left foot bitten | |
| 07-07-2012 | BAHAMAS ,Eleuthera | Spearfishing | Sean Connelly | M | Lacerations to right leg | |
| 01-22-2012 | BAHAMAS | Diving, photographing sharks | Russell Easton | M | No injury, shark grabbed his camera | Tiger shark |
| 07-13-2011 12h30 | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Scuba diving | male | M /54 | Injuries to arm | |
| 01-26-2011 15h00 | BAHAMAS ,West End | Scuba diving | Jim Abernethy | M /55 | Arm bitten | Caribbean reef shark |
| 10-02-2010 | BAHAMAS ,Exuma Islands | Snorkeling | Jose Molla | M | Calf bitten | Lemon shark |
| 10-02-2010 15h00 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Surfing | Jane Engle | F | Bitten between left ankle & knee | Possibly a 6' lemon shark |
| 08-29-2010 | BAHAMAS ,Exuma Islands | Swimming after boat became disabled | Judson Newton | M /43 | His partial remains were recovered from a 12' tiger shark on September 5, 2010. Cause of death was thought to be drowning | Shark involvement prior to death was not confirmed |
| 07-31-2009 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Derek Mitchell | M /14 | Lacerations to calf | Bull shark |
| 07-11-2009 | BAHAMAS | Spearfishing | John Cooper | M | Leg bitten by shark that had been shot in the head by another diver PROVOKED INCIDENT | Caribbean reef shark, 6' |
| 03-06-2009 | BAHAMAS ,Exuma Islands | Spearfishing | Luis Hernandez | M /48 | Lacerations to right forearm after he poked the shark with his spear PROVOKED INCIDENT | 7' shark |
| 06-28-2008 11h00 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Max Briggs | M /42 | Lacerations to calf | Bull shark, 6' to 7' |
| 05-24-2008 | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Sea Disaster | unknown | M | Boat capsized in squall. 2 bodies scavenged by sharks | Tiger sharks in area |
| 02-24-2008 10h00 | BAHAMAS ,Northern Bahamas | Diving | Markus Groh | M /49 | Leg bitten, FATAL | A bull shark, according to some of the divers on the boat |
| 09-28-2007 12h00 | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Spearfishing | Leslie Gano | F /48 | Thigh bitten | Caribbean reef shark |
| 07-10-2007 11h00 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Spearfishing | Joanie Regan | F /48 | Lacerations to thumb, ring and pinky fingers of right hand | Bull shark, 5' |
| 05-01-2007 | BAHAMAS ,Bimini Islands | Shark tagging | Sabrina Garcia | F /20 | Lacerations to right upper arm by captive shark PROVOKED INCIDENT | Lemon shark, >1 m |
| 10-01-2006 | BAHAMAS ,New Providence Island | Free diving / modeling | Renata Foucre | F /26 | Puncture wounds to left foot | |
| 06-24-2006 13h00 | BAHAMAS ,Andros Islands | Spearfishing | Whitefield Rolle | M /25 | Right arm severely bitten | |
| 01-11-2006 Morning | BAHAMAS ,Grand Bahama Island | Diving for lobsters | Hayward Thomas & Shalton Barr | M | No injury, divers felt threatened by 10' pregnant female tiger shark & killed the shark | Invalid |
| 10-03-2005 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Diving | Nixon Pierre | M /35 | Lacerations to right side of face | |
| 05-18-2004 15h00 | BAHAMAS ,Abaco Islands | Free diving & spearfishing | Wolfgang Leander | M /63 | Left forearm bitten PROVOKED INCIDENT | 1,5 m [5'] Caribbean reef shark (Carcharhinus perezi) |
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Which shark species are most commonly involved in attacks?
While there are numerous shark species in the Bahamas, the bull shark, tiger shark, and great white shark are more commonly associated with interactions with humans. However, it’s essential to remember that all sharks are wild animals, and any large shark can be potentially dangerous.
Is it safe to swim in Bahamas?
Yes, it’s generally safe to swim in the Bahamas. The country’s clear waters are popular among tourists for swimming, snorkeling, and diving. However, as with any coastal region, it’s essential to be aware of marine life, including sharks, and adhere to safety guidelines. While shark attacks are rare, they can occur. Always swim in designated swimming areas, avoid swimming at dawn or dusk when sharks are most active, and stay informed about any local warnings or advisories.
Are certain areas in the Bahamas more prone to shark encounters than others?
Yes, there are certain areas in the Bahamas that are more prone to shark encounters than others. Particularly, the waters surrounding the islands of New Providence and Bimini are frequently reported for increased shark activity due to their rich marine life.
