Sharks in Bahamas Test Positive for Cocaine, Painkiller in New Study

Some fish in the Bahamas are experiencing a different kind of spring break—whether they want to or not.

Sharks in the waters surrounding a remote area of the tropical island have tested positive for cocaine, caffeine and pharmaceutical drugs, a new study in the May 2026 issue of Environmental Pollution found.

Of the 85 sharks representing five species analyzed in “Drugs in Paradise,” researchers found that 28—of which were Caribbean reef sharks, nurse sharks and lemon sharks—had “detectable levels” of cocaine, caffeine, acetaminophen (the active ingredient in Tylenol), as well as the painkiller diclofenac in their bloodstream.

Researchers noted that, to the best of their knowledge, this is the first report of caffeine and acetaminophen in “any shark species worldwide” and the first detection of diclofenac and cocaine in sharks in the Bahamas, which is “an environment commonly described as pristine.”

The study argued that the changes were likely exacerbated by the country’s rapid coastal development—with a growing number of tourists, rental properties and vacation homes—since tourism is a major economic driver.