Pig Island. Big Major Cay Island: the world's only waterfowl resort

Big Major Cay - small desert island, on west beach which is inhabited by a population of several dozen pigs and piglets. It is to them that the island owes its name - Pig Island (Pig Island) Pig Beach (Pig Beach)

Bahamas, Isle of Pigs Big Major Cay ( Big Major Cay)

Bahamas, Big Major Cay Pig Island

�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 were 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�.

Bahamas, Big Major Cay Pig Island

Eric and his team not only swam with the pigs, but also took a series of photos, after the publication of which the Bahamian swimming pigs of Big Major Cay gained popularity in all corners the globe:�Our team photographer Nadine Umbscheiden quickly found mutual language with pigs and arranged an impressive photo session with them. For this, we jokingly began to call her a pig charmer, but, to be honest, these photos turned out to be the most unusual and beautiful of all that were taken on that expedition.�

Bahamas, Big Major Cay Pig Island

Bathing with pigs - exclusive to the Bahamas

Among tourists swimming in the ocean with pigs in the Bahamas has become even more popular than the traditional swimming with dolphins for this region.=

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This is not surprising, since a wide variety of swimming programs with dolphins are offered on almost any Caribbean resort, while swimming pigs can only be found in the Bahamas, and Pig Island is practically the only place on earth where you can swim and then sunbathe on white sandy beach next to real pigs =

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The pigs of Big Major Cay are always happy to have guests - they swim up to the boats that bring tourists to the beach of the island, communicate with tourists with pleasure and pose in front of photographic lenses in exchange for a treat.

Due to the constant bathing in the ocean, Bahamian pigs are exceptionally clean, so even close contact with them will not cause any discomfort.

Pigs of Big Major Cay - photo essay from Pigs Beach

Big Major Cay, Exuma Archipelago, Bahamas

Pig Island, Exuma Archipelago, Bahamas

Pigs Island (Big Major Cay), Exuma Archipelago, Bahamas

One of the most popular excursions offered to tourists in the Bahamas is considered cruise to the shores of Big Major Cay, Exuma. Among tourists and travelers Big Major Cay is better known by another name - Pig Island.

Big Major Cay is a small uninhabited island with a population of several dozen pigs and piglets on its western beach. It is to them that the island owes its name - Pig Island (Pig Island), and the beach chosen by animals is also called nothing more than Pig Beach (Pig Beach)

The island has springs with fresh water, and larger neighboring islands reliably protect this place from the effects of tropical storms. Paradise island in the Bahamas, entirely owned by pigs. In such an unusual habitat for pigs, they themselves pigs in the Bahamas are also unusual - waterfowl, which attracts numerous tourists to the Isle of Pigs, vacationing in the resorts of the Bahamas.

Where do swimming pigs come from in the Bahamas?

The origin of the Big Major Cay pigs is not known for certain. There are several theories about how the pigs ended up on an uninhabited island in the Bahamas in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean.

According to one legend, the pigs were brought to the island by pirates who left the animals as a strategic food supply for the future. The pirates planned to return to the island soon, but these plans were not destined to come true, and the pigs remained to live on the island, having managed to adapt to new conditions.

Another legend says that a shipwreck occurred near the shores of Big Major Cay. Pigs were also transported on the ship in distress. The ship crashed on the reefs, and the animals were the only surviving passengers. The pigs managed to swim to the shores inhabited island where they established their colony.

There is a more prosaic version of the appearance of unusual waterfowl on a desert island near the fashionable Bahamian resorts: the pigs were brought to the island on purpose to attract tourists.

The most plausible of all is the hypothesis that pigs appeared on the small uninhabited island of Big Major Cay in the 90s, and this happened through the efforts of pig farmers from the neighboring inhabited island of Staniel Cay. The pigs were evicted from Staniel Cay to a deserted island due to numerous complaints about bad smells from the pigsties. There, the animals did not interfere with anyone, and their living conditions have changed significantly, which positively affected the hygiene of the animals.

Having found pigs on a desert island, the inhabitants of neighboring islands began to feed them. Animals quickly got used to the fact that people sailing to the island always bring them food. Having established a connection between the boats approaching the island and food, the pigs began to meet them, go deeper and deeper into the water, and then completely learned to swim.

Today, everyone swims in the pig population: both adult pigs and small piglets, which get used to water from childhood. As soon as they see boats or yachts approaching the island, the pigs joyfully rush towards them - right into the water.

The pigs are very friendly and are not at all afraid of either people or boats - they boldly swim up to them, often try to climb on board and take food directly from their hands.

How Bahamian waterfowl became famous

worldwide fame waterfowl from the Bahamas received in 2009 thanks to underwater photographer Eric Cheng.

Bahamas, Big Major Cay Pig Island

Here is how Eric Cheng describes his first encounter with these unique inhabitants of the Bahamas: �Our expedition went to the southern Bahamas to photograph the great 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

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 ocean or on a white sandy beach... don't be 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.

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 locals neighboring islands fed 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.

As you know, guinea pigs are generally a misunderstanding, and not a name, since they are not pigs at all, and certainly not guinea pigs. Real guinea pigs live in the Bahamas, on the island Big Major Cay, which is also known as Pig Island. For piglets of different colors and sizes here - real paradise. There are no other inhabitants on the island, so pigs can bask all day long on the white sand and splash in the clear transparent Caribbean waters.

How the pigs ended up on the island, one can only guess. Perhaps they were brought here by accident, perhaps with the intention of establishing a farm on the island and raising pigs for sale, but the fact remains: for many years, more than one generation of pigs has grown on Big Major Cay, and in order to adapt to local conditions, they had to learn to swim. The results of such self-improvement are amazing: even the tiniest piglets can swim, they climb into the water after their mother and thus learn the art of staying and moving in the water.

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.

Every inhabitant of the planet can envy these pigs! They have taken over a deserted 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 a sea voyage to the shores of the Big Major Cay island of the Exuma archipelago (Big Major Cay, Exuma). Among tourists and travelers Big Major Cay is better known by another name - Pig Island.

On the western beach of the uninhabited island of Big Major Cay, a population of wild pigs lives, there are several dozen of them, 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

Having found pigs on the island, the locals began to feed the animals, they quickly got used to it, and when they saw people approaching the island, they 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 photograph the great 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.

Pig Island. Big Major Cay Island: the world's only waterfowl resort

Bathing with pigs - exclusive to the Bahamas

Pigs of Big Major Cay - photo essay from Pigs Beach

Where do swimming pigs come from in the Bahamas?

How Bahamian waterfowl became famous

How pigs on the island became waterfowl

How pigs got to Big Major Cay

Isle of Pigs Big Major Cay Bahamas photo by Eric Cheng