Swimming with pigs in the Bahamas (video)

Somewhere in the swirling blue waters and white sands of the Bahamas, there’s a place where pigs can swim. Tucked away on a small pristine island, the only inhabitants are a family of swimming swine. Officially, the name of this place is Big Major Cay in the Exuma chain of islands about 80 miles from Nassau. Unofficially, all the area locals simply call it “Pig Beach.” The best part is, visitors can swim with these cute and capable swimmers. Here’s how:

No one knows exactly how the pigs got here. It seems every local on the nearby island has their own version of the story. Some tales start back hundreds of years and involve shipwrecks with pigs swept to sea ending up on Big Major Cay. Others are more mundane with the pigs being part of a failed farming operation.

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The only more puzzling question than how the pigs got to this remote Bahaman island, is how did they teach themselves to swim?  With short stubby legs and a rather round figure, you wouldn’t expect them to be sea fairing animals. Yet these smart little hogslearned to kick their legs just fast enough to keep their snouts barely above the surface. Their cute noses come in handy acting almost like a snorkel as they swim in the crystal clear water around their island.

When you go swimming with the pigs don’t forget to bring a treat. They’ll appreciate the gesture and you’ll have their full attention, at least until the treats run out. On the rare day when the pigs don’t have visitors they are fed by the local people. However, the pigs are for the most part wild animals so approach them with a bit of caution or at least a cookie. These one of a kind pigs are a sight to see and an unforgettable way to spend an afternoon.

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Where can you swim with the pigs? The closest island to stay near the swimming pigs is Staniel Cay. The island has four hotels, about the same amount of restaurants, a small landing strip and docking facilities. There are two scheduled flights to this little slice of hog heaven every day from Nassau.

Tagged: Bahamas, Caribbean