Your next beach vacation just got a whole lot cuter
By Nicole-Marie Ng, Photos: Blue Orange Studio/Shutterstock
The pigs enjoy spending their days swimming, eating and basking in the sun.
Affectionately dubbed “Pig Beach”, the island of Big Major Cay is home to approximately 20 pigs and piglets that love the sun, sand and sea.
No one knows for sure how the pigs came to inhabit the island. Some say that a group of sailors dropped the pigs off at the island with the intention to come back later and retrieve them for food. Others say that the pigs were shipwrecked and swam to the island for safety.
Regardless of how they got there, the pigs continue to thrive thanks to tourists and locals who come to feed and play with them.
Pig out
“Pig Beach” is located in the Exuma district of the Bahamas, which consists of over 365 islands known as cays.
If you join an Exuma cays ocean safari tour, you’ll be brought to a variety of cays on a high-speed boat where you’ll be able to snorkel through vibrant coral reefs and take in the stunning sea views before making a stop at Big Major Cay.
There, you’ll be able to feed the pigs and swim next to them. These pigs can weigh up to 100kg and are known to behave as affably as dogs. Some of them are even able to sit on command and do tricks.
Experience Exuma
Get up-close and personal with the pigs of Big Island Cay.
Aside from “Pig Beach”, there is plenty to see and do in Exuma. Stay in a luxurious beach resort or go for dives in crystal clear waters.
The sandbars in Exuma are also not to be missed. These beaches stretch out for miles and are relatively untouched by human footprints. Finding a secluded spot to bask in the sun will be a breeze.
You can get to Exuma by air or by sea. Fly to Exuma International Airport, located on Great Exuma or take a ferry in from Nassau, the capital of the Bahamas.
Several major national and international airlines offer daily, bi-weekly and weekly flights to Exuma and you can use the Bahamas Ferry Services or a local mailboat if you plan on heading there by sea.
A version of this article appeared in the print edition of Weekender, Issue 154, June 10 – June 23, 2016, with the headline ‘Swim with friendly pigs in the Bahamas’.
ADVERTISEMENTS