The U.S. State Department has issued a Level 2 travel advisory for The Bahamas, urging travelers to “exercise increased caution” due to rising crime and even potential shark attacks.
According to the advisory, violent crime such as armed robberies, burglaries, and sexual assaults can happen anywhere in the country, including areas popular with tourists. Travelers are especially warned to avoid the “Over the Hill” area in Nassau, located south of Shirley Street, where gang violence has claimed lives.
The advisory also urges caution when staying in vacation rentals—particularly those without private security—and reminds visitors to lock all doors and windows and not open the door to strangers.
Beyond crime, safety concerns extend to recreational activities. Boating in The Bahamas is reportedly underregulated, with past incidents of injuries and fatalities involving unsafe or uninsured watercraft. As a result, U.S. government employees are prohibited from renting or using jet skis and personal watercraft from independent operators on New Providence and Paradise Islands.
The advisory also notes troubling reports of sexual assaults involving jet ski operators, particularly on or near downtown Nassau beaches.
Travelers are advised to remain vigilant, take precautions, and stay informed before and during their visit.
Earlier this year, SpaceX successfully launched a Falcon 9 rocket from Cape Canaveral, Florida, and achieved a historic first by landing the rocket’s first-stage booster on a droneship off the coast of The Bahamas. This mission marks the first time a rocket has taken off from one country and landed in another.
The Falcon 9 lifted off carrying 23 Starlink satellites into low Earth orbit. Approximately eight minutes post-launch, the first-stage booster touched down on the droneship “Just Read the Instructions,” stationed in the Atlantic Ocean near The Bahamas. This strategic landing location allows SpaceX to optimize rocket performance by enabling launches on a southeast trajectory from Florida’s Space Coast.
Utilizing a southeast launch path facilitates the deployment of additional satellites into polar orbits and supports human spaceflight missions, such as the upcoming Fram2 mission, which aims to explore Earth’s polar regions. Moreover, landing boosters off the Bahamian coast offers improved recovery options during winter months, ensuring the rapid and reliable reuse of Falcon 9 boosters for future missions.
