Unprovoked shark attacks are rare in the Bahamas, with just 34 recorded since 1580, according to the Florida Museum’s International Shark Attack File. This ranks the Caribbean country ninth among all tracked countries, with the US leading at 1,640 cases, followed by Australia with 706 and South Africa with 262, the data shows.

Two American women visiting the Bahamas over the weekend were attacked by a shark, local authorities said, with at least one of the victims sustaining serious injuries.