Caribbean reef shark – Photo by Albert Kok/Wiki Commons
‘Cocaine sharks’ are a thing, now.
A group of Brazilian scientists published a study in the journal Environmental Pollution that is causing concern.
They have discovered traces of cocaine, caffeine, and painkillers in sharks swimming in waters around the Bahamas.
The animals are getting ‘hooked’ as a result of an uptick in marine pollutants.
‘Cocaine sharks’ found in Caribbean waters
The species have tested positive for cocaine, caffeine, and painkillers — NY Post
Researchers found traces of drugs in dozens of sharks near the Bahamas, likely caused by pollution from wastewater and discarded narcotics pic.twitter.com/xU1BlpFg6M
— RT (@RT_com) March 27, 2026
The New York Post reported:
“’Pharmaceuticals and illicit drugs are increasingly recognized as contaminants of emerging concern (CECs) in marine environments, particularly in areas undergoing rapid urbanization and tourism-driven development’, the researchers wrote while describing the troubling […] trend.”
This is the first time sharks tested positive for cocaine in the Bahamas.
Researchers analyzed blood samples from 85 specimens and drug-tested for both legal and illegal substances.
COCAINE SHARKS? : Research has shown that a number of sharks species have been exposed to cocaine and other human-made chemicals from wastewater. Environmental Engineer Dr. Tracy Fanara joins FOX Weather to discuss how these sharks are impacted by these substances. pic.twitter.com/zIFv0Col8v
— FOX Weather (@foxweather) March 20, 2026
“Of the samples, a shocking 28 sharks spanning three species tested positive for drugs, the most common of which was caffeine. This was followed by acetaminophen and diclofenac, the active ingredients in the popular painkillers Tylenol and Voltaren.
Meanwhile, two of the animals tested positive for cocaine, which researchers attributed to them chomping on drug packets that fell into the water.
‘They bite things to investigate and end up exposed’, study author Natascha Wosnick of the Federal University of Paraná in Brazil, told Science News.”
Cocaine Sharks are Back, Only Now They’re Also Tweaking on Caffeine and Painkillers https://t.co/a3yL9YujUE pic.twitter.com/laCin85QT3
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 24, 2026
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The post Sharks in the Caribbean Show Traces of Cocaine, Study Shows appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.