The adventure awaiting you on Pig Island Bahamas is undoubtedly something that you will never have experienced anywhere else on earth. Pig Island Bahamas is the most sought after destination in the entire world, and the reason is simple: because of its residents. Your visit to Pig Island Bahamas will bring you face to face with some of the most unlikely of creatures in this setting, ordinary farm pigs.
Located at least 3 hours out of Nassau by boat, Pig Island Bahamas is relatively remote, and yet the pigs still draw crowds every day, regardless of the season. Pig Island Bahamas is one of the 365 islands in the Exuma Cays. This string of islands showcases some of the best, if not the absolute best, of what the Bahamas has to offer. Hundreds of gemlike islands leading off into the distance with dazzling turquoise water lapping at their shores. The Exuma Cays offers the authentic Bahamian experience with its exquisite islands, world-renowned accommodation and endless adventures. With all of this in mind, you’ll realize that a trip to Pig Island Bahamas is sure to include a whole lot more than the pigs themselves.
Pigs swim off Pig Beach on Pig Island Bahamas
Booking a Pig Island Bahamas vacation with Bahamas Air Tours is the very best way for you to enjoy this trip. Not only will you be subject to the joy and wonder of flight, but you also won’t need to spend 3 hours on a small boat skimming across the Bahamian ocean. Instead, you can fly to Staniel Cay and take a tour from there. Staniel Cay is the ideal base from which to visit the Bahamas Pigs, but it is also so much more. With some of the very best that the Exuma Cays has to offer in the area, and one of the best Yacht Clubs in the world, Staniel Cay is your gateway to an unforgettable Bahamian vacation.
Pig Island Bahamas (Big Major Cay)
Big Major Cay is the official name for Exuma Pig Island Bahamas, however almost everyone calls it Pig Island, or at the very least will know exactly where you’re talking about. Big Major Cay is located just to the north of Staniel Cay in the Exuma Cays and welcomes thousands upon thousands of visitors to its shore every year.
Pig Beach Bahamas on Big Major Cay Island in The Bahamas
While Staniel Cay may have a small airstrip for aircraft to land, Big Major Cay has little to no infrastructure on it at all. While this may seem inconvenient, it actually makes your time on the island that much more special. The reason for this is that you’ll get an idea of what the Bahamas looks like without the presence of humans, without big buildings or colossal resorts like in Nassau. Though you are likely to find this island to be crowded from about 11am to 2 pm, on either end of this bracket you could easily find it to be entirely empty. This is another benefit of staying at Staniel Cay, you’re able to tour the island well before the numerous boats from Nassau arrive.
Big Major Cay Bahamas Pigs cannot be found around the entire island though, they can specifically be found on Pig Beach Bahamas. Your visit to piggy island, or Big Major Cay, will undoubtedly be an unforgettable one, this trip really is worth your time.
The Famous Swimming Bahamas Pigs
You may be wondering what’s so special about a bunch of pigs on a beach in the Bahamas. Well, aside from the comical aspect of seeing these ordinary farm animals immersed in tropical paradise. What makes the pigs of Pig Island Bahamas so special is that they swim. This truly is an adorable and rather funny activity to witness. To see animals that look like they belong in a muddy field on a farm paddling around in the tropical wonderland that is the Bahamas is sure to make your Pig Island Bahamas vacation a memorable one.
Swimming Pigs at Pig Island Bahamas
The swimming pigs exuma truly are charming, and as your boat pulls into the bay of Pig Beach Bahamas, you’ll find that they actually swim out to you. The older and larger the pigs get, the less they swim, and will instead just wade out into the water. However, the smaller pigs are tenacious, and have been known to swim as far as a mile away from shore in the hopes of a tasty snack from a passing boat.
As the pigs of Pig Island Bahamas swim up to you, they will have their snouts raised hopefully, expecting a treat of some kind. While feeding these creatures is entirely encouraged, they are still wild animals, and should be treated with caution. That being said, if you feel comfortable enough to get in the water beside them, you’ll find that they make quite great swimming companions. You’ll be sure to get some truly excellent holiday snaps of the pigs swimming through the crystalline turquoise waters of swimming pigs island.
You may be wondering how the pigs actually ended up here. Though the stories that locals tell of shipwrecks can be quite entertaining, the reality is a little more simple. Decades ago, a nearby settlement moved all their pigs off their island because of the smell. Forgotten here, the pigs adapted to their new island and were later discovered by tour agencies. Their popularity quickly grew and soon a visit to piggy island was the most sought after trip on earth.
Staniel Cay Day Tours to the Swimming Pigs
The swimming pigs island is not the only attraction worth visiting from Staniel Cay. In fact, there are so many incredible things to see and do in this area, that it really would be worth spending a couple nights here so that you can soak in all the excitement. Staniel Cay Yacht Club offers some of the best accommodation in the Bahamas, with excellent amenities, a private marina and arguably the best bar in the Bahamas.
One of the best things to do from Staniel Cay is to visit Thunderball Grotto. This trip will help you to understand why Staniel Cay is often compared to a James Bond film. Incidentally, Thunderball Grotto actually got its name from the Bond film “Thunderball” due to the fact that some of the scenes were actually shot here. This magnificent submerged cave is an ideal place to visit during your time in Staniel Cay. The entrance is entirely underwater, which means you’ll need to strap on your snorkelling gear and flippers. Swimming through this underwater tunnel is a thrilling experience, but nothing can compare to the feeling of bursting out of the water inside this shimmering cavern and experiencing the beauty that is Thunderball Grotto.
Swimming Pig Island Bahamas is also known as Big Major Cay
If you’d prefer to stay dry, but still want to explore the oceans around Staniel Cay, then you can head south east of the island towards Harvey Cay. Here, at the bottom of the ocean you will find the sunken wreck of a drug smuggler’s plane. The story is that the pilot crashed during a test run where the plane was carrying bags of flour instead of drugs. This fascinating site is sure to leave you with an excellent story to tell everyone back home about your trip to the Bahamas.
If Exuma Pig Island Bahamas only made you want to swim with more curious animals, then a visit to the nearby Compass Cay is for you. At the marina of this pristine island you will find a number of sharks. These are nurse sharks, and are actually a lot more like catfish, however their dorsal fins and immense size make it clear that they are indeed sharks. Nurse sharks are mostly harmless, which means that you can get in the water and swim with them. This school of sharks are considered pets by the owners of the marina, so they are used to humans. Always be cautious when dealing with them, but you can stroke, swim alongside, and even hold these incredible creatures. Compass Cay is an excellent stop on your tour of the Bahamas, and should not be missed!
The animal tours don’t end there! Staniel Cay will also grant you access to Bitter Guana Cay to the south. This island is known for its scaled inhabitants. The Bahamian Rock Iguana resides here, and due to its lack of natural predators, is entirely un-afraid of humans. This means that you can take some excellent close-up shots of these prehistoric creatures on your tour of the Bahamas.
A swimming pig on Pig Island Bahamas
Book a Bahamas Day Trip with Bahamas Air Tours
Bahamas Air Tours does a whole lot more than just transporting you to some of the world’s most incredible destinations. Your trip will be filled with outstanding, panoramic scenes of the Bahamas from your ideal vantage point in the sky. The convenience of air travel is another important factor, and simply cannot be overstated. If you’re looking to book Staniel Cay day trips, or even Exuma day trips, then Bahamas Air Tours is the perfect place for you.
The speed of air travel is unparalleled, which has allowed Bahamas Air Tours to offer Bahamas day trips from Miami to Staniel Cay. This means that you won’t need to take days, or even a week off just to visit the swimming pigs of Pig Island Bahamas and can enjoy a direct trip from Florida to swimming pigs. In fact, that can be just one of the many tours you enjoy on your day trip with Bahamas Air Tours. Bahamas Day Trips to Staniel Cay depart from Nassau and Miami (Florida).
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