The Nassau Swimming Pigs of the Bahamas are an attraction that has sparked excitement and intrigue throughout the globe. A Pig Island excursion from Nassau allows you to visit the Swimming Pigs and float alongside them in the turquoise Bahamian ocean. Located in the Exumas and the Abacos, a swim with the pigs excursion from Nassau is a popular way to spend a day in the Bahamas.
Not only is a tour to visit them the top Nassau to Exuma day trip, it is the most sought after trip in the world. This comes as no surprise when you snap unique instagram pictures of the Nassau Swimming Pigs as they splash and swim around in the crystalline water of the Bahamas. The most popular spot to visit them is in the Exumas because of their numbers and their proximity to Nassau, however, the Nassau Swimming Pigs in the Abacos islands are just as entertaining to visit, though there may be fewer of them.
Visit the Nassau Swimming Pigs in the Exumas
The Exuma Cays are a string of 365 islands in the Bahamian Out Islands that display some of the country’s most pristine landscapes and unique attractions. Among these islands you will find Staniel Cay and it’s neighbor Big Major Cay. Flights from Nassau to Staniel Cay will transport you to a world of immense beauty and a plethora of things to do nearby. Big Major Cay is home to the Nassau Swimming Pigs of the Exumas, and you can enjoy a swim with pigs excursion by boat from Staniel Cay.
Many people don’t know how to get from Nassau to Exuma, but the process is relatively simple. Getting from Nassau to Exumas and their swimming pigs will require you to book flights from Nassau to Staniel Cay, since Big Major Cay doesn’t have its own airstrip. From Staniel Cay you can take a boat tour and set out on a swim with pigs excursion. Be sure to bring some food for these pigs on your Pig Island excursion from Nassau, and have it ready when the boat begins to pull into the bay. The reason for this is that the pigs will swim out to meet you, with their snouts raised above the water hoping for a tasty snack. A Nassau to pig beach trip is exceptionally rewarding when you watch these curious creatures paddle out into the ocean.
There are a number of different stories that the Bahamian locals will tell about how the Nassau Swimming Pigs ended up on this beach. Some say that they were shipwrecked nearby, and happened to wash up on shore. Others think that sailors brought these pigs here decades ago, expecting to come back to eat them, but never returned. The truth is that these pigs were actually transported here by some locals from a settlement on a nearby island because of their smell.
Visit the Swimming Pigs in the Exumas on a Bahamas Day Trip from Nassau.
Swim with Pigs Excursion in the Abacos
The Abacos are a string of islands and cays to the east of Southern Florida. They span a total of 120 miles and are home to excellent scuba sites, tropical scenery and of course, the Nassau Swimming Pigs. A swim with the pigs excursion from Nassau to the Abacos will bring you to Green Turtle Cay. Though this may not be home to the swimming pigs, it provides access to the nearby No Name Cay, where the pigs reside. You should make your way from Green Turtle Cay to the northwest shore of No Name Cay, where these pigs are most often found.
Much like the grunting residents of Big Major Cay, these pigs always welcome a handful of food from visitors with glee. It is important to remember that these pigs are wild animals, and should be treated with a fair amount of caution. Be sure that you don’t feed them directly from your hand, and instead place their food on the containers on the beach. While there may not be any naturally occurring drinkable water on No Name Cay, Craig Russel, the pigs’ unofficial caretaker has installed the large water tank that was donated by Sunset Marine.
If you ask any locals of Green Turtle Cay or any of the surrounding islands how the pigs ended up on No Name Cay, each person will tell you a different story. Some people think that a group of locals put these pigs here to hunt them later, others say that since the popularity of the Nassau Swimming Pigs of the Exumas, locals decided to put these pigs here to attract tourists. Unlike the stories in the Exumas, no one seems to know exactly how they ended up here.
Visit the Swimming Pigs in the Abacos on a Day Trip to Bahamas from Florida with Bahamas Air Tours.
How to Visit the Swimming Pigs
Visiting the Nassau Swimming Pigs is a convenient and easy process for anyone in Florida. Booking a private air charter day trip from Miami, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Palm Beach or Vero Beach with Bahamas Air Tours will bring you right to these adorable creatures. In fact, anyone in southern Florida will be able to book a day trip to go and see the Nassau Swimming Pigs.
While a Pig Beach excursion from Nassau day trip certainly time-conscious, the Bahamas has so much to offer that some might prefer to book an Island Hopping tour over 4 days. If you book a multi-day island hopping tour with Bahamas Air Tours, you will have the chance to see both the Exumas Swimming Pigs, and the Abacos Swimming Pigs in the same trip. Not to mention the fact that you’ll also be exploring other extraordinary islands like Staniel Cay.
How to get from Nassau to Exuma
If you’re wondering how to get from Nassau to Exuma, you can either book Nassau to Staniel Cay flights, or you can travel by boat. The boat ride from Nassau to Exuma day trip can prove to be an uncomfortable 2-hour journey. If you’d prefer to travel in comfort, then Nassau to Staniel Cay flights are the way to go. Not only do you get an outstanding viewpoint of the Exumas as you fly above them, you will also arrive in Staniel Cay within 30 minutes, making the travel time a whole lot shorter.
If you are planning on getting from Nassau to Exuma by air then you can look for a local Bahamas Air Charter operator. Bahamas Air Tours provides tours to the Swimming Pigs from Florida. That means that the cost of the boat excursion to reach the pigs is already organized and included in the price of the tour!
Top things to do in Bahamas
An island hopping tour will not only bring you on a Pig Beach excursion from Nassau, it will transport you to a plethora of exquisite islands, vistas and attractions. Naturally, any Bahamas tour will see you walking along a pristine white beach with the turquoise wavelets lapping gently at the shore. As you walk, you may come across some unique wildlife, like the Swimming Pigs or the Bahamian Rock Iguana, not to mention all the majestic marine life that lives beneath the waves.
The Bahamas boasts a number of historically significant sites, whether they be the ancient artefacts of the Lucayan Indians who lived here in the 10th century, or the countless monuments in honour of Christopher Columbus. Visiting these sites will give you a sense of where the Bahamas came from, and how it has developed over time. This historical timeline can also be followed in the numerous New England style colonial buildings that are spread across the Bahamas in varying states of repair.
The Bahamas is also a culturally vibrant destination, with the annual Junkanoo festival, unique seafood dishes and local Kalik beer giving tourists a taste of their rich society. The country has become one of the world’s top tropical destinations, with colossal resorts to cater to the masses that visit Nassau. Golfers, fishing enthusiasts and boaters will find themselves in paradise, with endless opportunities to enjoy their hobbies, including 18-hole championship golf courses, award winning game fish catches, and boundless areas to explore on any type of vessel.
All that the Bahamas has to offer is enhanced by this destinations exceptional accessibility. The affordability of the country is outstanding compared to the prices elsewhere in the Caribbean. Not to mention the convenience that the Bahamas provides. US Dollars are accepted throughout the archipelago and all locals are english speakers. As a whole, this destination provides something for absolutely everyone.
Island Hop the Bahamas
Whether you’re planning on booking a tour from Nassau to Pig Beach, or you simply want to explore all that the country has to offer, Bahamas Air Tours has you covered. If you have limited time to visit, then a day trip is the ideal package for you, however, if you’re able to take some time off, then a multi-day island hopping tour will provide you with the trip of a lifetime.
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