Where are the floating pigs in the Bahamas. Big Major Cay Island: the world's only waterfowl resort
Hi all!
The hallmark of the Bahamas are waterfowl, which live on Pig Beach (Pig Island) and bask in the waters of the Atlantic Ocean under the Bahamian sun.
To look at this miracle of nature, we bought an excursion from the Exuma agency. Cost $180 per person from Exuma, $220 from Nassau. It will be cheaper if you live on the island of Staniel Cay, but the housing prices there are infernal!
In addition to waterfowl, the price of the tour includes:
- snorkeling in the James Bond cave,
- visiting a sunken plane,
- starfish study,
- landing on the shallows in the ocean.
From the island of Great Exuma to the island of pigs, swim for about 1-1.5 hours on a large motor boat. Already from afar, pigs are visible on the shore.
As soon as the pigs notice the boat, they dive into the water and swim towards the tourists.
According to legend, pigs were brought to the island by pirates along with all other treasures. Then the pirates disappeared, and the wild pigs remained to live on the island. Over time, the animals adapted to life near the ocean and learned to swim.
On the boat we were given some bread and fruit to feed the pigs. As soon as I got into the water from the boat, a huge pig swam up to me. It was so scary that it seemed like he would eat me.
On the other side, another pig was already attached and opened its mouth for me to throw food into it!
In general, adult pigs are quite dangerous animals. They can easily eat a human baby. Just look at how much an adult pig is larger than a person.
When the Pigs won all the food from us, they brazenly turned their faces and swam to the shore. And we followed them.
On the shore, in addition to large boars, there were also small pigs. But they still did not know how to swim, so they crowded on the shore.
In general, I counted on the island about 30 pigs. But I think there are many more of them. I think now pigs are kept here for the sake of tourists, because this is really a gold mine. And the Bahamas without pigs is no longer the Bahamas.
Pigs can only be fed bread and vegetables. It is strictly forbidden to give alcohol. 2 months ago Bahamian pigs died because tourists gave them rum to drink. Sometimes the inhumanity of people is amazing!
Some pigs know the "sit" command, others just run back and forth, extorting food!
Surely you have seen beautiful photos pigs in blue waters the ocean or white sandy beach... don't get fooled! There are many more tourists here than pigs, and big boars can even bite you in the ass!
At one point, I just stood with my empty hands down, a pig approached me and unexpectedly bit my fingers, almost eating my wedding ring! So be careful!
It is more fun to babysit little piglets. It turns out that you need to be able to hold them correctly, otherwise you can get a good deal from their Big Mommy. Below I will give 2 photos for comparison.
You can't keep piglets like that! They start squealing very loudly, and their mother immediately becomes alert and runs to you!
And this is how to keep the piglets correctly! The main thing is to support the tummy, then the pig lies calmly in his arms.
I will tell you one more secret that photos in magazines will not reflect: pigs go to the toilet where they have to - on the sand or in the water! And stepping on something brown and warm with a bare foot is still a pleasure! On the other hand, I am now waiting for big money, like manna from heaven!
All the pigs on the island can be stroked, but they are very active in running away. Therefore, you will have to run after them.
In general, of course, I really enjoyed my visit to Pig Beach, even despite the bite of the pig and the "pleasant" surprise on the sand!
This place is a must to visit, but observe precautionary rules:
- hold piglets properly
- keep your fingers to yourself
- feed your pigs only bread and fruit
- don't bother big boars
- look under your feet
Thank you for reading my review! Hope it was helpful.
Read about getting to know alligators.
More Bahamas reviews below.
The Bahamas is known around the world as "heaven on earth" for its beauty: nature, turquoise waters and sunny days... But talk of landscapes fades into the background due to the appearance on one of outlying islands the archipelago is not quite ordinary inhabitants.
How Pigs Came to the Bahamas
The fact is that not so long ago pigs began to live on the local shores. Although how they got there, no one knows.
Some think that they sailors brought who counted the vegetation of the island Big Mayor Cay in the Bahamas - excellent food for. However, the pigs were lucky: the sailors changed their plans, and they never returned for their pets.
According to another legend - pigs survived a shipwreck and managed to swim to shore.
Third, they fled the nearby islands.
According to another version, a pig on a desert island is a kind of business move to attract tourists to the Bahamas.
Be that as it may, now the island has become known only as "Pig". And now the pigs live here alone, eating what they get from tourists and other travelers sailing on yachts.
By the way, pigs have been living on this island for a long time, but they became seriously interested in their appearance there only in 2009, when photographer Erich Cheung and did his own research. It was then that the "pig phenomenon" became known to the general public.
Describes his impressions of pigs swimming in the ocean traveler Hillary Richard.
Looking for piglets
We sailed around the rocky corner of the Great Main Reef, taking in the surroundings. The sun-bleached rocks contrasted picturesquely with white sand beach. Tall fast growing palm trees and shrubs diluted blue blue watercolor caribbean and the sky. But where did THEY go?
I looked for any sign of movement - the rustle of palm trees, the rustle in the sand. But only the sound of the engine of our compact Boston boat interrupted the morning silence.
I started to worry that they knew we were here and that's why they didn't show up. Perhaps they fell asleep? Otherwise they would have heard us.
Suddenly the husband pointed towards the island. Something appeared at a distance of about 9 meters from us. The leaves of the bush moved: three large bodies crawled out of its thickets and immediately rushed across the beach with a goal that only they could understand.
They swept into the sea plunging into the water right up to the ears covered with fluff. Pink and brownish spots flashed in the turquoise waters of the ocean. And in just a few seconds, some centimeters separated me from three oblong muzzles - they fought their way out of the water, snorting and breathing deeply.
Here they are - pigs
Here are the pigs. To emphasize this moment of the meeting, the black-and-brown spotted pig, looking straight into my eyes, uttered such bloodcurdling and piercing squeal that I almost fell overboard with fear.
My husband, who spent his childhood on a farm, laughed for a long time after I asked him if such piggy emotions were normal.
So, somewhere in the Caribbean, we're relaxing on a boat with pigs floating and walking in the water around us, and I realize how "natural" it all is.
40 piglets
These animals are swimming pigs living in remote Bahamas with Exumas. Great Main Reef ( Big Major) is one of 365 reefs among the Out Islands. Currently around 40 inhabitants call the island their home - and they are all pigs, except for the occasional rooster or lizard.
We were the only boat in the bay that day, and of course we became the center of attention for the pigs.
They swam in the style of "dogs" around the boat looking for leftover food.
The spotted pig opened its large mouth, and its huge teeth appeared there.
And another pig immediately joined her from the starboard side - they pushed each other under water (in anticipation of food, their mouths remained open).
What do swimming pigs eat in the Bahamas?
We arrived prepared. The cook from the nearby Yacht Club put together a fridge full of bread for us, leftovers from breakfast specially for the pigs.
With a laminated map of the islands, a packed lunch, a waste container and a waterproof camera, we set out across the seas in search of adventure. Just a few U-turns from Thunderball Grotto and Staniel Reef and we found them.
Pigs swim and posing for food but these are formalities.
They expect to... - no, they insist on being fed, and they are not used to being disappointed.
It took me too long to open the refrigerator. Spotted Hryundel quickly understood the situation and decided to connect: he threw his front legs over the edge of our boat and tried to lean forward to climb aboard.
The boat jerked sharply down, and she swayed from the weight of the impatient animal.
I took the bread for just a few seconds when the second spotted pig, inspired by the example of the first, also decided to throw its front legs on the same side of the boat ...
I quickly tossed the bread crusts and leftover lettuce into their huge mouths. I stood close enough to see their sun-bleached lashes and spotted muzzles.
In the light, their ears were bright pink, with sunburn and insect bite marks. These smart cute creatures were livestock, here they felt freedom, and over time turned out to be completely tame. They turned away from the boat while they chewed their food and, before returning to the boat, first swam around it. The sun beat down mercilessly, we dropped anchor and jumped into the water...
It's incredible, even unrealistic - we swam with the pigs in a real paradise.
Based on materials from the English-language Wikipedia and site hub dot aa dot com/en/aw/bahamas-pigs-swimming
Every inhabitant of the planet can envy these pigs! They took over desert island in the Bahamas and swim in the ocean every day! Where to go for the weekend invites you to Pig Island, which used to be known as Big Major Cay.
Among the excursions offered to tourists in the Bahamas, the most popular was cruise to the shores of Big Major Cay in the Exuma archipelago (Big Major Cay, Exuma). Among tourists and travelers Big Major Cay is better known by another name - Pig Island.
On west beach The uninhabited island of Big Major Cay is home to a population of wild pigs, there are several dozen of them here, pigs along with piglets. Thanks to these animals, the island received its second, but now more famous name Pig Island (Pig Island), and the beach where the cute pigs live is known as Pig Beach(Pig Beach)
Pigs took over the uninhabited island of Big Major Cay in the Bahamas in Atlantic Ocean and learned to swim!
Big Major Cay in the Bahamas is inhabited by wild pigs, but they are very friendly and joyfully welcome guests to their island. Seeing a boat or a yacht approaching their island, the pigs joyfully swim to meet them, they are used to people treating them to various goodies.
How pigs on the island became waterfowl
Finding pigs on the island locals they began to feed the animals, they quickly got used to it, and when they saw people approaching the island, we began to go out to meet them going deeper and deeper into the water, so the pigs became waterfowl.
Some pigs are not afraid and try to climb on board begging for a treat.
How pigs got to Big Major Cay
The origin of pigs on the island is not exactly known, there are several versions:
- Pigs were brought to the island by pirates as a food supply, but something interfered with their plans, the pirates did not return to the island for pigs, but they adapted to new living conditions and began to multiply;
The pigs on the island were the result of a shipwreck that happened near the island. The ship crashed on the reefs, and the pigs managed to swim to the island and founded their colony here;
Pigs were brought to the island intentionally to attract tourists. After all, there are many luxurious hotels in the Bahamas, and this version may well be plausible.
The pigs were taken to the island by cattle farmers from a neighboring island, where the locals were unhappy with the smell from the livestock farms.
Whatever the reason, Big Major Cay is now more commonly known as the Isle of Pigs.
On the island of Big Major Cay, pigs have no natural enemies and they feel great here, the pigs breed and, which is quite unusual for these animals, they have learned to swim. Even very small pigs boldly go into the water to swim. Larger neighboring islands protect Pig Island from the effects of tropical storms, which creates ideal conditions for pigs to live on a small desert island.
Unlike domestic pigs, these pigs, thanks to regular bathing in the Caribbean Sea, are clean and very cute, easily agree to participate in photo shoots with tourists.
Swimming with pigs has become even more popular in the Bahamas than traditional swimming with dolphins, the latter being offered by many resorts, but swimming pigs are only found in the Bahamas.
Locals come to the island to feed the pigs when there are fewer tourists, because the Isle of Pigs has become a famous attraction that attracts many tourists. 
Pig Island and its inhabitants gained worldwide popularity in 2009 thanks to underwater photographer Eric Cheng.
Our expedition went to the southern Bahamas to take pictures white shark. Captain Jim Abernathy told me that there are wonderful piglets on an island, so we decided to go there and see them. We even managed to swim with them, they behaved very friendly - it is immediately noticeable that they are not in contact with people for the first time and do it without fear and even with pleasure.
Eric and his friends spent some great time on Big Major Cay in the company of swimming pigs and took a series of photos that made this place famous all over the world.
Isle of Pigs Big Major Cay Bahamas photo by Eric Cheng
And I still thought at one time, where did so many photos of pigs in the sea on a snow-white sand come from on the Internet? What kind of events are these? And it turns out like...
On the island of Big Major Cay (Bahamas) people do not live, but this place was chosen by ... domestic pigs. Passengers on ships sailing near the island can often watch pink piglets and their already tanned parents basking in the sun on a sandy beach.
There are many versions of how these animals got to Big Major Cay. Some say that the pigs were brought to the island by sailors who planned to return to it later and use the pigs as food. But the sailors did not return, and the pigs remained to live on the island, eating everything that was thrown from passing ships. According to another assumption, the pigs survived the shipwreck and managed to swim to the shore of Big Major Cay. It is also believed that the pigs sailed from nearby islands. And according to the modern version, pigs are just a way invented by businessmen to attract tourists to the island.
Which of these versions is reliable is still not clear, but it is known for sure that local residents neighboring islands feed these animals. So, for years these people have come to Big Major Cay to feed the pigs. And after some time, just seeing the ship, the animals began to rush into the water and swim towards their breadwinners. The pigs that live on Big Major Cay today do the same with tourist boats.
Interestingly, the pigs from the "paradise" island inspired the writer Jennifer R. Nolan to write a book about them for children ("The Secret of Pig Island"). The book contains fictional funny stories of pigs from the island of Big Major Cay and their photographs, as well as talks about how unpredictable and amazing the nature of our planet can be, and how important it is to preserve it.
These cute animals were discovered in 2009 by photographer Eric Cheng and Captain Jim Abernathy.
The official name of the island is Big Major Cay, but it is known to most as Pig Island. There is a spring on this island fresh water, and the surrounding islands protect it from tropical storms. This is the perfect habitat for pigs, who laze around the clock like little beach bums. They have fun in the water, swim together and show their rowing skills to visitors with pleasure. It is interesting how pigs originally appeared on the island. Rumor has it that several sailors sailing past the island a few years ago decided to leave some pigs on the island and turn the place into a secure and secret source of food. Luckily for the pigs, the sailors never returned. The animals did not have to worry about food, as sailing yachts often throw excess food into the sea. The pigs seem to already know when their next delivery of food will be, and as soon as they spot a yacht on the horizon, they happily fly into the sea. They swim as close as possible to the ship, hoping to get the most delicious pieces of food.
Photographer Eric Cheng says "I was in the southern Bahamas photographing long-winged sharks" when the captain of his boat told him he had heard there were pigs on Big Major. They dropped everything and went to the island to look at the curiosity. To their surprise, the rumors turned out to be true. "When approaching the white sandy beach it's easy to spot the pigs (pink and dark brown) lying on the sand,” says Cheng. "Because of local population brings them food, the pigs run into the water and swim up to the boats to personally greet the people. Pigs lying on a tropical beach are already a strange sight, but when they run into the water to greet the boats, the sight becomes simply incredible. Cheng and his team took many pictures with pigs, and in last years they have become quite popular. The team even took a swim with the pigs. “Nadine Umbscheiden, one of the photographers, became so friendly with the pigs that she even got to swim with them,” says Cheng. “We named her ‘Pig Talker’ because she could make pigs swim towards our cameras!” Apart from pigs, no one else lives on Big Major.
Despite the fact that the pigs live here wild, they are very friendly. They meet people, joyfully grunting, deftly swim up to the boats and beg various goodies from tourists. And they can’t refuse them, because piglets from Big Major Cay are very cute, and unlike domestic pigs, they are very clean, thanks to regular bathing in the sea. In addition, the pigs are used to the fact that people sail to their shore with noble intentions and not empty-handed: they are regularly fed by specially hired residents of the Bahamas, as well as yachts and tourist boats passing by - there have always been plenty of people who want to admire the local miracle of nature. Some piglets are so familiar with human society that they jump into the boat if it comes close to the shore, and with their whole appearance they show that they want treats and that they scratch their tummy. True, the pigs are most willing to get acquainted in the late afternoon, when it becomes not so hot, and they come out of the forest with the whole community to lie on the sand and swim in the sea.
Tourists not only willingly feed the pigs, but also swim with them in the water, take pictures, sunbathe. Children are especially happy with such a company. After all, where else can you frolic freely on clean sand with the same clean pink, brown and red piglets that can swim like a dog?
As soon as they see tourists, they immediately swim up to yachts and boats and beg people for delicious food. And of course they do, how can tourists resist looking into these kind pig eyes. Pigs have been living on these islands for more than one generation, piglets are accustomed to water from childhood and can swim on a par with adults without any problems.
If you are going to visit the Bahamas, then you should definitely visit Big Major Cay, which is famous for its unusual inhabitants. This island is inhabited by pigs that can swim in the ocean. The life of these pigs in the Bahamas can truly be called paradise. It is not known how the pigs originally came to the island, but they have already been replaced by more than one generation. To get their own food, they had to learn how to swim. Moreover, very small piglets already know how to swim almost from birth. There are no other inhabitants on the island, so only tourists make up the social circle of pigs.
(Photo by Roberto Muoz)
Animals swim with their noses above the water to breathe.
(Photo by Roberto Muoz)
There are about 20 pigs on the island.
(Photo by Roberto Muoz)
They are not shy about asking people for food. People working on the island warn tourists not to feed the pigs with anything, as this can harm them. For those who want to feed them, local bar on the shore provides a service such as the sale of special leftovers that the pigs will enjoy.
There are many legends explaining how the pigs ended up on a deserted island. According to one of them, the pigs were left on the island by some sailors. The sailors were supposed to return and use the pigs for food, but never returned. According to another legend, they survived the shipwreck and were able to swim to the island. There is also a more prosaic version that the pigs were brought to the Bahamas specifically to attract tourists. But where they actually came from on the island remains a mystery...
