Scientists have discovered traces of cocaine, caffeine and even painkillers in sharks prowling the waters surrounding the Bahamas. “It’s mostly because people are going there, peeing in the water and dumping their sewage in the water,” Natascha Wosnick, one of the scientists who carried out the study, told Science News. According to the findings, 28 of the sea-dwelling creatures exhibited detectable levels of cocaine, caffeine, acetaminophen or diclofenac. The drugs were detected in Caribbean Reef Sharks, Atlantic Nurse Sharks, and Lemon Sharks, although Blacktip Sharks and Tiger Sharks were also studied. Sharks in the Brazil-based study showed higher levels of cocaine, she told Science News.

Source: Irish Independent March 27, 2026 11:37 UTC