How To See The Famous Swimming Pigs in the Bahamas
Pig Beach, or Big Major Cay, is an island in the Bahamas best known for its resident population of domesticated swimming pigs. Only a handful of famous pigs are in the world, including Wilbur, Babe, and Miss Piggy, to name a few. And then there are the swimming pigs of the Bahamas. Only one option is real, and you can visit!
Swimming with pigs in dazzling blue water unsurprisingly makes for a great day, and it only helps that the pigs are pretty friendly. They are probably the most popular attraction in the Exuma islands, and many travellers make the journey out to the island as a day trip. They can be visited as a day trip from Nassau, Miami, or the neighbouring islands. The closest inhabited island to reach the pigs is Staniel Cay, where most day trippers utilize a small airstrip.
The Bahamas’ Swimming Pigs
Pig Beach is actually on Big Major Cay Island, which is not far from the inhabited island of Staniel Cay. They live on the island and spend their days on a large crescent shaped white sand beach that is protected from the sea. This also makes the water a popular mooring spot for sailboats in the Bahamas.
It’s a gorgeous beach, and the waters that lap along it are that signature Bahamian blue. It’s been remarked that the Exumas have some of the most beautiful water in the world, and that very well may be true. We’ve been to many places and have found few that can compete.
The backstory goes that an enterprising local placed the pigs on the island, hoping to draw visitors. We’re not sure where he got the idea, but it’s been a hit. Seeing the pigs swim in the water is quite entertaining, and they seem to live a pretty good life on the beach.
As the appeal of the pigs has grown so have many of the rules around the pigs. They can only be fed from the water which means the pigs learn to swim and are not aggressive with visitors on the beach. On the beach the pigs have a sun shelter and access to water. A vet also attends to them to ensure they’re healthy and receive vaccinations.
If you have hopes to see the swimming pigs yourself you’ll need to visit the beach via boat. Luckily you can charter a sailboat to explore the Exumas or hop on a tour from the neighboring island of Staniel Cay.
Exuma Islands Boat Tours
It’s not just the cute pigs that are the draw here, but the incredible natural beauty of the Exuma Islands. They are seriously some of the most stunning islands in the world and are widely regarded as the world’s premier sailing destination. It shouldn’t be much of a surprise by the sheer number of mega yachts and sailboats that dot the sparkling blue waters around the islands.
There are many options to enjoy the Exumas, but almost all of them are done by boat. This shouldn’t be too much of a surprise, as they’re a collection of small islands and sandbars. A limited number of operators offer day trips via boat from Nassau.
However, that involves a rather arduous boat trip that can be exhausting and leaves limited time around the actual islands. The most convenient way is either via sailboat or as a day trip from a neighbouring island.
Staniel Cay is the closest island and you can book day trips from Nassau with 3Ns Exuma Vacations. The tour they offer includes roundtrip flights from Nassau via a small plane that offers extraordinary views of the islands. We did the tour as a day trip while staying on the island at the Embrace Resort.
What’s Included On The Tour?
The average tour to see the pigs includes a lot more than just Pig Beach and Big Major Cay. Most make other stops in the Exumas such as Iguana Beach, Various Sandbars, Compass Cay, Escobar’s Plane, and Thunderball Grotto. As we were staying on Staniel Cay we did not need to fly in to the local airport.
Our day started with a visit to Iguana Beach. It’s another stunning white sand beach with a large resident population of wild iguanas. On a sunny day, you roll up to the beach, where they’re often relaxing and soaking up the sunshine. Afterwards, we were off to find some sharks!
There are so many photo stops and wild experiences around the Exumas, specifically on the boat trips here. One of the most notable is the stop at Compass Cay, where you can swim around and touch nurse sharks. The gentle nurse sharks fill the marina waters and give you a chance to interact with the wild animals.
The Bahamas are definitely not lacking when it comes to sand. Navigating the islands takes some real skill, thankfully we had great captains, as the sandbars are constantly moving. They make for wonderful spots to take in the amazing water colours and some of the softest sand on earth. It’s the perfect spot to enjoy an ice cold drink or go for a swim.
This pigs are a big draw for a lot of visitors and we can say it actually lives up to the hype. Seeing the pigs swim is really fun and they’re super friendly once you hop out on the white sand beach.
Thunderball Grotto is another popular stop for good reason. It’s right off the coast of Staniel Cay. A swim here is pretty unforgettable, as it’s a wild spot to go snorkeling. The partially submerged limestone cave has multiple entrances and submerged tunnels you can swim through, as sunlight streams through holes in the cave ceiling.
The water in the grotto is a dazzling blue, so it’s not much of a surprise that it’s been featured in numerous movies and TV shows. It even gets its name from the James Bond movie Thunderball.
After all this, you can make a final stop at the submerged plane just off the coast of Staniel Cay. It lies in shallow waters and was once used in drug smuggling operations so it’s often referred to as Escobar’s plane.
You Can Book A Tour Here!
Tour Options To See The Swimming Pigs
You can book a group or private boat tour to see the pigs and the surrounding sights around Staniel Cay. Most boat tours last around four hours on the water and include stops at Iguana Beach, Compass Cay, a disappearing Sandbar, Pig Beach, Thunderball Grotto, and the famous plane wreck.
The tour can be done from Staniel Cay or Nassau. It’s easy to book the tour if you’re staying on Staniel Cay with 3Ns Exuma Vacations. We were already staying at Embrace Resort so booking with them was a breeze. You can still book a tour from Nassau with 3Ns Exuma Vacations. They will even arrange for a hotel pick up, return flight to Staniel Cay, and your boat + captain.
We really loved the tour and can confidently say it’s worth the journey to Staniel Cay. If you’re only staying in Nassau while visiting the Bahamas, you have to get out of the city and explore the Exumas.
Truly the water and islands here are out of this world! However, we’d definitely encourage anyone to spend a bit more time on Staniel Cay rather than just a day trip. We spent five days on Staniel Cay and felt it was the ideal amount of time!
