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.

A dream vacation in the Bahamas for two young American tourists turned into a nightmare when they jumped into the sparkling blue water hand-in-hand and mere minutes later were attacked by a shark.

The Royal Bahamas Police Force said two American women were bitten by a shark while touring the country's Bimini district.