How to visit the Bahamas Beach with Pigs

The Bahamas Beach with pigs is known as Pig Beach, but locally known as Big Major Cay.  It s an uninhabited island in the Exuma Cays of the Bahamas. It’s famous for its unique inhabitants, the Bahamas Swimming Pigs. These unique Exuma pigs have adapted to their surroundings and are known for not just wading into the shallow, clear waters to greet visitors, but will swim 100m+ offshore to greet visitors in their boats!

Located about 80 miles southeast of Nassau, the Bahamas Beach with Pigs (Pigs Beach Bahamas) is part of the Exumas, which is renowned for its stunning turquoise waters, white sandy beaches, and diverse marine life. The island itself is small and uninhabited by humans, allowing the pigs to roam freely. The pigs are friendly and accustomed to people, often swimming out to greet boats arriving at the island, making for an unforgettable experience.

Pig Beach is home of the famous Bahamas Swimming Pigs

Visiting Pig Beach is an adventure. The most common way to reach the island is by boat. Visitors can book tours with Bahamas Air Tours from Nassau, Florida and Georgetown (Great Exuma), or other islands in the Exumas as a private charter. These Bahamas Day Trips include stops at other attractions in the Exumas, such as the James Bond Thunderball Grotto and Compass Cay, where you can swim with nurse sharks.

Pig Beach Bahamas offers a unique and delightful experience that combines the beauty of the Bahamas with the charm of its swimming pigs, making it a must-see destination for animal lovers and adventurers alike.

A Bahamas Swimming Pig in the Exuma waters

Bahamas Swimming Pigs Experience

As visitors near the bahamas beach with pigs, you can see the swimming pigs already waiting in the shallow waters. There are about a dozen of them, varying in size and color, from large adults to adorable piglets. Their snouts bob above the water as they swim toward the approaching boats, clearly accustomed to the arrival of visitors.

The tour guide gives you a quick briefing: The pigs are friendly but can be a bit eager when food is involved. You are advised to be gentle and mindful of their space, especially with the piglets, who might be more timid.

A unique sight – the Swimming Pigs of the Bahamas

With a mix of anticipation and curiosity, you step off the boat into the warm, shallow water. The Exuma pigs are right there, swimming around you, their little legs paddling just beneath the surface. One of the larger pigs, with a patchy pink-and-brown coat, swims directly towards you, its snout sniffing the air. You reach into the bag of carrots provided by the tour guide and hold one out. The pig gobbles it up eagerly, its wet nose brushing against your hand. You cant help but laugh—it is such a bizarre yet delightful moment!

Swimming with Pigs

The pigs are surprisingly agile swimmers, and you will find it fascinating to watch them navigate the water with ease. They genuinely enjoy the interaction, although the prospect of food is clearly a big motivator.

Bahamas beach with pigs is called Big Major Cay island

But why are there pigs on an uninhabited island, and how did they get there? The origin of the swimming pigs remains a charming mystery, with several theories adding to their allure.

Some say the pigs were left by sailors who intended to return and cook them but never did. Others believe the pigs swam to shore from a nearby shipwreck, while another story suggests they were brought to the island by locals to boost tourism.

Staniel Cay, a farming community

Many folktales surround the origins of the swimming pigs at the Bahamas beach with pigs, but the most widely accepted story is that they were brought over from nearby Staniel Cay by local farmers in the early 1990s. Staniel Cay was originally a farming community, but the pigs, with their strong odors, became a source of complaints among the residents.

To address this issue, the farmers relocated the pigs to the uninhabited Big Major Cay, now famously known as Pig Beach. The location was ideal because the wind would carry the pigs’ smells away from Staniel Cay, sparing the village from the unpleasant odors.

Visitors to Pig Beach can enjoy feeding the baby piglets

Feeding the pigs required the villagers to make a short boat trip from Staniel Cay to Big Major Cay, which took about ten minutes. Over time, the pigs began associating the sound of approaching boats with their daily meals. This behavior led to the charming spectacle that visitors see today, with the pigs swimming out to greet boats in anticipation of being fed.

Pigs Beach Bahamas (Big Major Cay)

Pigs Beach Bahamas is locally called Big Major Cay island with Pigs

Visiting Big Major Cay from Nassau

With Bahamas Air Tours, the most popular way to visit the Bahamas beach with pigs, is a day trip from Nassau to Exuma. Uniquely these trips to Big Major Cay from Nassau are done by plane, significantly cutting down on the long boat journey time.

The journey begins with a scenic flight over the stunning Exuma Cays, offering breathtaking aerial views of the turquoise waters and scattered islands. Upon landing at Staniel Cay, a short boat ride takes you to Big Major Cay, home to the famous swimming pigs. This day trip allows ample time to interact with the pigs, explore the surrounding islands, and enjoy the natural beauty of the Exumas before returning to Nassau.

Pig Beach home to the Bahamas Swimming Pigs

Pig beach is located in the stunning Exuma Islands

The Exuma Islands, a stunning archipelago in the Bahamas, consist of over 365 cays and islands, each offering its own slice of paradise. Located about 40 miles southeast of Nassau, the Exumas are renowned for their crystal-clear turquoise waters, powdery white sand beaches, and vibrant marine life, making them a top destination for travelers seeking natural beauty and adventure.

The Exuma Cays, stretching northward, are where you’ll find some of the Bahamas’ most famous attractions. These include the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, Thunderball Grotto—a popular snorkeling spot featured in James Bond films—and the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, a protected area teeming with wildlife.

Exuma islands are located a short flight away from Nassau

The Exumas are a boating and yachting paradise, with countless hidden coves, sandbars, and coral reefs to explore. Whether you’re seeking relaxation, water sports, or wildlife encounters, the Exuma Islands provide an unforgettable Bahamian experience.

How to visit the Bahamas Beach with Pigs

Bahamas Air Tours offers two convenient options by plane for day trips to Pig Beach from Nassau and Florida.

Nassau to Exuma Day Trip

From Nassau, the tour begins with a scenic flight over the Exuma Cays, showcasing stunning aerial views of the turquoise waters and islands. After landing at Staniel Cay, a short boat ride takes you to Big Major Cay, where you can swim with the famous pigs. The day includes stops at other Exuma attractions, like Thunderball Grotto and Compass Cay. Book a Nassau to Exuma Day Trip.

Miami to Bahamas (Exuma) Day Trip

From Florida, Bahamas Air Tours provides a flight to the Exumas, bypassing Nassau entirely. Departing from various Southern Florida airports, this option is ideal for travelers looking to experience the bahamas beach with pigs in a single day without needing to stay overnight in the Bahamas. Upon landing at Staniel Cay, the tour mirrors the Nassau experience, offering the same breathtaking encounters with the swimming pigs and the natural beauty of the Exumas. Book a day trip to Pig Beach from Florida.

When to visit the Pigs Beach Bahamas?

The best time to visit is during the dry season, from December to April, when the weather is pleasant and seas are calm. This also avoids hurricane season (June to November).

Where can you swim with pigs?

Swimming with pigs is in the Bahamas. A small island called Big Major Cay (known as Pig Beach), which is one of 365 islands which makes up the Exuma Islands archipelago. Big Major Cay is the original island with pigs in Bahamas. A number of other islands are now home to pigs, but these are not the Swimming Pigs variety, other islands can only claim to have Pigs on a Beach.