In late 2022, Scott Johnson, Founder and CEO of Wild Bahamas, set out on a mission to amplify awareness of Bahamian wildlife. Having launched a Facebook page back in 2013 to promote wildlife education, he was eager to expand its reach even further. That’s when he had an idea—what if he could bring the beauty of The Bahamas’ wildlife to a broader audience through magazine writing?
Determined, Scott scoured the internet for potential platforms and soon came across Up and Away Magazine, the inflight publication of Bahamasair, led by Captain Roscoe Dames and part of Ivory Global Management Ltd. Intrigued by the opportunity, he reached out to Mr. Dames with a proposal to introduce a fresh perspective—one that highlighted the diverse and often overlooked wildlife of The Bahamas.
Mr. Dames welcomed the idea, and in the January–March 2023 issue, Scott’s first article, "Bahamian Wildlife: It’s All Around Us," made its debut. The piece captivated readers, showcasing the country’s incredible native and endemic species, including the endangered Bahama Warbler, the elusive Bahama Boa, the White-crowned Pigeon, and the striking Rock Iguanas.
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The response was overwhelmingly positive, with passengers enjoying a deeper appreciation for the unique creatures that call The Bahamas home. Encouraged by this success, Wild Bahamas is committed to continuing its collaboration with Up and Away Magazine and Ivory Global Management Ltd., ensuring that the hundreds of thousands of travellers flying with Bahamasair each year have the chance to discover and celebrate the nation’s extraordinary wildlife.
Wildlife has long played a pivotal role in The Bahamas' tourism sector, with charismatic species such as bonefish, rock iguanas, and sharks contributing significantly to the economy.
The Bahamas, boasting over 350 bird species and proximity to North America, stands as a prime destination for birders. Its aesthetic beauty and unique charm, coupled with the diversity of each Bahamian island, offer birders an unparalleled experience with endemic and native birds, plants, and other fascinating animals. The Bahamas is an integral part of the West Indies, one of the world's major biodiversity hotspots.
While certified bird and nature guides exist in The Bahamas, their limited numbers create opportunities for enterprising Bahamians willing to acquire new skills. Establishing a broader network of guides is essential to effectively market The Bahamas. Proficiency in wildlife identification, guiding skills, and hospitality training becomes necessary for Bahamians to capitalize on this niche market.
In 2022, Wild Bahamas was engaged by the Bahamas Agriculture and Marine Science Institute (BAMSI) to assist them with training another cohort of Nature Guides on the island of Andros, starting in the fall of 2023. This would be the second group of guides to receive such training, the first being in 2015, which the Bahamas National Trust led. This group of nature guides contained residents from across the Andros Archipelago, most hailing from North and Central Andros.
The Nature Guides received training in ornithology, botany, non avian fauna, and guiding skills. They also participated in weekend field trips where they practiced their wildlife identification skills and had to lead tours with actual visitors to the island. At the end of the training, nine persons successfully past the three-month long course, fulfilling all the necessary requirements. Wild Bahamas is proud to have been able to assist with this necessary training which promotes eco and sustainable tourism, and encourages entrepreneurship and wildlife conservation. Wild Bahamas is looking forward to continued partnership with BAMSI and the National Audubon Society to train another amazing group of Bahamian Nature Guides.
For years, Up and Away Magazine has been a window into the vibrant cultures, breathtaking destinations, and hidden gems across the Bahamasair network. From food and adventure to fashion, art, and history, the magazine has brought captivating stories to travellers both locally and internationally.
In 2023, Wild Bahamas proudly joined the Up and Away team, contributing its first article to spotlight the rich biodiversity of The Bahamas. Through engaging features on native wildlife and fragile ecosystems, Wild Bahamas has helped bring awareness to the incredible natural wonders that make the country so unique.​
Now, all that dedication, passion, and commitment to storytelling by the magazine’s team has paid off—Up and Away Magazine has officially been named the Caribbean’s #1 inflight magazine! Wild Bahamas is honoured to be part of such an outstanding publication and looks forward to continuing this journey of education and discovery.
Want to learn more about this exciting achievement? Click here to read the full story.
Explore the fascinating world of The Bahamas check out our captivating and informative articles in the following Up and Away Magazine issues below!
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Up and Away: The Bahamas' 50th Year Issue- "Bahamian Wildlife: It is All Around Us " pg. 51-52 (January-March 2023)
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Up and Away: The Family Islands Issue- "Animals Across the Archipelago: A Look at Native and Endemic Bahamian Fauna throughout The Bahamas. " pg. 49-50 (April-June 2023)
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Up and Away: The Bahamas One Nation: Our Legacy Our Future Collector's Edition- "Endemics: Our Tru Tru Bahamians " pg. 93-94 (July-September 2023)
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Up and Away: The Fashion, Food, Fun Issue- "Insects: Seeing the Beauty in Six-legged Beasts " pg. 77-78 (October-December 2023)
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Up and Away: The Photographer's Lens Issue- "The Bahamian Dry Forests: A Wonderfully Diverse and Threatened Ecosystem" pg. 73-74 (January-March 2024)
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Up and Away: The Food Glorious Food Issue- "Tales in Scales: A Look at the Enchanting Reptiles of The Bahamas" pg. (April-June 2024)
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Up and Away: The Summer Love Issue- "Sip and Heal: A glimpse into bush medicines of The Bahamas" pg.73-74 (July-September 2024)
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Up and Away: The Arts Issue- "Canvas Chronicles: Bahamian Wildlife through Art" pg.71 (October-December 2024)
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Up and Away: The Golfing in Paradise Issue-"Fore the Wildlife: Golf Courses Nurturing Nature" pg. 76-77 (January-March 2025)
​​​​​​​​Discover the magic of Up and Away Magazine—click here to dive into all our dazzling issues!
Globalisation and the import and export of goods has led to many important advances in country economies and has assisted us in creating a comfortable way of life. In The Bahamas, we import most of our food as well as other goods and services. The Private sector has contributed billions of dollars into the Bahamian economy and has employed thousands of Bahamians. However, with developments, often comes the importation of goods like plants for landscaping which are often purchased from internation nurseries such as those from Florida and the southeast United States. Goods imported from anywhere have the potential to carry stowaways, but imports from Florida are of particular concern due to the high prevalence of non-native species in the state. Florida has the largest population of non-native reptiles and amphibians in the world and these animals often find their way to the shores of The Bahamas. Recently, however, a native Florida species is alleged to have made its way to Harbour Island, a small island northeast of the Eleuthera Mainland. This species is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake.
The Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake (Crotalus adamanteus) is the largest pit viper in North America and is a venomous snake species native to eastern United States. Large individuals can grow up to 6-8 feet and possess 1-inch fangs that can deliver a Hemotoxic bite which can lead to an unfortunate victim losing a limb or in worse cases dying from blood loss or organ failure. As formidable as this snake is, it generally is mild-natured and would rather be left alone than fight, preferring to bite only when threatened.
On October 28th, Wild Bahamas CEO and Founder, Scott Johnson, was informed about a strange snake seen in Harbour Island. The sender originally thought it was a Bahama Trope, an endemic and harmless Bahamian snake species, but upon further inspection it was determined to be an Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake. This was further confirmed by long time herpetologist and venomous snake expert based in Florida, Mr. Joe Wasilewski.
Local authorities were immediately alerted by Mr. Johnson where he gave guidance as to next steps to urgently address the potential of a venomous snake on the island. The author of the video was identified of which the person was instructed to lead Mr. Johnson and authorities to the site where they had allegedly seen the animal and took the video. The author explained that the snake was slithering down the road with a rat in its mouth. When they proceeded to tried to make a video of it on the road, the snake changed direction and slithered into a grassy and leafy vegetated area on the side of the road.
A team of three experts consisting of a herpitologist and venomous snake handler, a botanist and a Bahamian terrestrial wildlife expert was mobilised to implement a search and capture exercise over the course of two days in the area the snake was allegedly seen.
By this time, the video of the rattlesnake had already made its way through Bahamian social media and had caused quite the stir among the Bahamian public and rightly so, given the seriousness of the situation. Sadly, people started killing native snakes such as the Bahama Trope due to its similar appearance to the Pygmy Rattlesnake and juvenile rattlesnakes.
Conclusion
Upon detailed investigation of the site it became apparent that certain elements were not aligning with that of the video. The major discrepancies were that firstly the vegetation was not the same. The video showed what looked to be maple leaves compared to the dune grass and almond tree leaves on the ground. Secondly, the substrate was not the same. The video showed dark compact soil compared to the bright sandy substrate seen at the site. Thirdly, the contour of the ground where the snake was allegedly crawling off into the vegetation was not the same. The ground in the video was flat, whereas at the site there was a significant incline into a sand dune. Finally, when asked to produce the device the video was taken with (a SMART phone), no date or time, could be found within the details. Additionally, the team searching both during the day and night, finding no evidence of the animal only led to the inevitable conclusion that the video while indeed one taken of an Eastern Diamond Back Rattle Snake was not taken in The Bahamas.
Although the outcome of this investigation turned out to be untrue, it really highlighted the need for more biosecurity monitoring on our family islands. It is only a matter of time before another dangerous animal or plant enters the country and establishes itself. This scenario can cost the government hundreds of thousands of dollars to eradicate or get under control. Steps should be taken to train law enforcement and border control personnel in Wildlife identification and Wildlife handling and relocation.
The Bahamas is home to six endemic bird species, most of which are currently endangered. One such species, the Bahama Oriole, is now found exclusively on the Andros Island complex after disappearing from Abaco for unknown reasons. Previously believed to be mostly synanthropic, or closely associated with human settlements, the Bahama Oriole was thought to depend on coconut palms for nesting. This reliance on human habitats, coupled with threats from nest parasites like the Shiny Cowbird and invasive species such as feral cats, led to an estimated population of fewer than 300 individuals. Consequently, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classified the Bahama Oriole as Critically Endangered.
However, recent research conducted by Dr. Kevin Omland and his students at the University of Maryland Baltimore County (UMBC), in collaboration with The Bahamas National Trust, has revealed new insights into the species' habitat preferences. Their studies indicate that the pinelands are a crucial ecosystem for the Bahama Oriole, with the majority of the population inhabiting this extensive habitat. Point counts in both human settlements and pinelands suggest a significantly larger population of between 2,400 and 8,400 individuals, prompting the IUCN to downgrade the species' status to Endangered.
On June 25th and 26th, 2024, Scott Johnson, Founder and CEO of Wild Bahamas, participated in the Bahama Oriole Conservation Action Planning Workshop at the Bahamas Agriculture and Industrial Corporation (BAIC).
Hosted by the Bahamas National Trust and led by Re:Wild, the workshop brought together experts to discuss the Bahama Oriole, the threats it faces, and strategies for its conservation.
Wild Bahamas is committed to supporting these conservation efforts by conducting research and monitoring Bahama Orioles in residential areas. They aim to remove Shiny Cowbirds from nesting sites to improve reproductive success. Dr. Omland’s research indicates that Shiny Cowbirds significantly impact nest success, causing 75% of egg and nestling mortality in residential zones. Johnson believes that implementing Cowbird traps in these areas could reduce mortality and enhance nesting success for the Orioles.
“We look forward to working with various organisations to protect our endangered and endemic birds,” said Johnson. Wild Bahamas' proactive approach and the collaborative efforts of conservationists and researchers offer a hopeful future for the Bahama Oriole and other endemic bird species in the region.
After successfully wrapping up the 2023-2024 Nature Guide Cohort in Andros, Wild Bahamas was once again invited to help train a new group of guides—this time on Eleuthera and New Providence.
Eleuthera, a long, narrow island covered mostly in Bahamian Coppice, is rich in wildlife and history. It’s home to the eastern subspecies of the Bahama Yellowthroat—considered by some to be the brightest in The Bahamas—and the Great Lizard-Cuckoo, another subspecies found only on Eleuthera and Andros. The island also boasts unique geological features like Preacher’s Cave, Hatchet Bay Cave (the longest subaerial surface cave in the country), and hidden gems like the Agave Savanna and Sweetings Pond, which hosts a large, isolated population of seahorses.
New Providence, the country’s main tourism hub, also offers impressive wild spaces like Primeval Forest National Park, Bonefish Pond National Park, and Lakeview Pond on Paradise Island. Both islands support a wide variety of birdlife, making them excellent spots for birding and nature tours.
During the course, guides learned about Bahamian ecosystems, bird species, native plants, terrestrial animals, geology, and guiding skills. On Eleuthera, they explored different parts of the island to better understand its habitats and wildlife.
Both groups enjoyed the training and gained a lot from the experience. Wild Bahamas is excited to see how these new guides use their knowledge to grow in the ecotourism industry across The Bahamas.
