Serious safety alert for popular Caribbean destination could affect Canadians
Canadians who have plans to visit a popular Caribbean beach destination may want to be extra cautious about the water activities they choose to do.
In June, the U.S. Embassy in The Bahamas shared a safety alert on X, warning Americans visiting the Caribbean country about the risks that come with jet ski rentals, particularly around Nassau and Paradise Island.
“We’ve lost America’s lives to preventable accidents. Multiple visitors have been hospitalized. Americans have also been sexually assaulted by jet ski operators who take victims to isolated islands,” stated U.S. Ambassador Herschel Walker in a video.
🚨 SAFETY ALERT: Ambassador Herschel Walker has an important message for Americans visiting The Bahamas: Jet ski rentals pose a serious risk of injury, death, and sexual assault. U.S. gov’t employees are banned from renting them — and you should avoid them too.
Watch. Share.… pic.twitter.com/zgxSTEjdmh
— U.S. Embassy Nassau (@USEmbassyNassau) June 15, 2026
He added that many watercraft are unsafe, run by operators who are unlicensed and uninsured. This is why U.S. government employees are banned from renting or riding jet skis in the Caribbean country, explained Walker.
“We’re working with the government of The Bahamas to address these issues, but for now, consider all the risks before you get on a jet ski in the Bahamas,” he said in the video. “Your safety matters. If you need help, contact the embassy immediately.”
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Canada has not updated its travel advisory for the Caribbean nation to reflect this specific risk with jet ski operators. However, it continues to advise Canadians to “exercise a high degree of caution” when travelling to The Bahamas due to high crime rates, especially in Nassau and Freeport.
It says high rates of petty crime occur in tourist areas. This includes pick-pocketing and bag snatching.
“Robberies also occur in cruise ship terminals and in and around popular resort areas in Nassau and Freeport, even in daylight hours. Crime increases during the holidays, festivals and regattas,” reads Canada’s travel advisory for The Bahamas.
According to the travel advice, violent crime is often related to gang activity and mostly occurs on the islands of New Providence and Grand Bahama.
“The Bahamas has a high murder rate, but incidents mostly occur in downtown Nassau in non-tourist areas after dark,” it reads. “High incidences of violent crime occur in neighbourhoods outside of high tourist areas.”
It lists armed robberies, burglaries, fraud, sexual assaults, and theft as the most common crimes committed against visitors in Nassau and Freeport.
Canada advises tourists to remain vigilant, stay in tourist areas, and to avoid isolated areas or walking alone at night.
Canadians heading abroad can sign up for the Registration of Canadians Abroad (ROCA), a free and confidential service that notifies Canadian citizens outside the country of an emergency abroad or at home.
If you need emergency consular assistance while travelling, contact the nearest Government of Canada office or reach out to Global Affairs Canada by phone, SMS, Signal, WhatsApp, or email.
With files from Irish Mae Silvestre