When you arrive in the Exumas, an island chain with more than 365 tiny Bahamian islands, you will feel as if you have been discovering the world for the first time.
Rather than human footprints, iguana tails leave impressions on the sand, and anyone can stumble upon gleaming pink conch shells the size of their heads whenever they survey the surrounding waters.
You are awoken from your daydream when you arrive at Big Major Cay, where some rather boorish creatures greet you: a bunch of loud, snorting pigs.
Just as most of the people you will meet in the Bahamas are transplants, the beach pigs are not native. In spite of the fact that they’ve clearly taken to their tropical digs and rising popularity — spurred in part by a dramatic appearance on “The Bachelor” and a few well-liked Instagram posts — fame comes with a price.
After receiving autopsy results, government officials have blamed sand ingestion as the cause of seven pig deaths in February.
The pigs have mostly abandoned foraging in the forest since humans became a fixture on the island, opting instead to eat food thrown to them by boats and the shoreline. The sand swallowed during the feeding frenzy, along with the dry January, which depleted their already limited supply of fresh water, led to the death, a Humane Society inspector told National Geographic. A new batch of healthy pigs has replaced their fallen comrades, and the friendly sunbathers are still making their way onto the bucket lists of animal-lovers everywhere.
Our visit to Pig Beach in the Bahamas taught us what to expect, how to behave, and how to interact responsibly with the animals.
Where are the swimming pigs?
Big Major Cay is one of the over 365 islands in Exuma, the Bahamas district, where beach pigs live. There are no humans on the island, which is 82 miles southeast of Nassau and 50 miles northwest of George Town. It is also known as Pig Beach (for obvious reasons).
How do you get to Pig Beach?
A guided tour or a charter boat is the only way to reach Pig Beach.
In addition to visiting the pigs, swimming with nurse sharks, meeting iguanas, and having a sandbar picnic, Exuma Water Tours offers a full-day tour for $240 per adult that includes the Thunderball Grotto (a scenic spot used in two James Bond films).
The cost of renting a boat for a full day from exumavacation.com starts at $275 (you can add a guide if you desire).
A nearby hotel, Fowl Cay Resort, offers daily boat rentals as part of your stay (including a beginner’s orientation).
How did the pigs end up at the beach?
Despite the mystery surrounding the swimming pigs, local legends abound, from stories about a shipwreck to those of hungry pirates who dropped them off and never returned. In the late 1990s, a man named Wayde Nixon and his business partner, Don Rolle, brought the first pigs to the island, hoping to establish a pig farm. According to Nixon, if the feared Y2K computer meltdown occurs, he will have a sustainable food supply ready. Apparently, the pigs were more relieved when New Year’s Day 2000 didn’t bring darkness to screens than we were.
Can you feed the pigs?
V. Alfred Gray, the Bahamas’ agriculture and marine resources minister, told the Nassau Guardian rules would be implemented after tourists were eyed in the pigs’ untimely deaths. Nixon and Rolle also announced in February that new regulations would be developed in collaboration with the government.
In the meantime, the deaths serve as a solemn reminder to avoid feeding the pigs. If you do feed them, make sure they are fed pitted fruits and vegetables and in water rather than sand. Because the island does not have a lot of fresh water, attempting to feed them fresh water would be a good alternative to food.
If you carry food on the beach, you’ll be chased by the pigs, and some of them are quite large; therefore, if you’re easily scared, you might want to avoid the beach if you carry food.
When is the best time to visit them?
If you are taking your own boat to the island, go early in the morning so that the pigs can be your focus. A local guide told us that most tours run from 9 a.m. to sunset. They tend to be tuckered out by late afternoon with full bellies, so they prefer to relax in the sand rather than paddle.
A local water sports company usually shelters the pigs when a dangerous storm is approaching during the months of June through November.
How do you get to the Exumas?
Staniel Cay, Black Point, and Farmer’s Cay are the closest airports to Pig Beach.
Among the hassle-free, private jet amenities offered by Makers Air from Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport to Staniel Cay include skipping security lines, relaxing in a quiet lounge with snacks and beverages, and flying in a nine-seat aircraft. But yes, you will need a passport.
There are also daily FlamingoAir flights from Nassau to any of the above destinations, with fares starting at around $110 one-way, if you use a major U.S. carrier to Nassau. There are daily boat tours to Pig Beach available from Nassau and Great Exuma, but it will take an entire day.
Where should you stay?
Located on its own little island just minutes from Pig Beach, Fowl Cay Resort offers romantic getaways, secluded getaways, and unforgettable group vacations. In addition to the stunning views and top-notch amenities (think rocking chairs on the beach, paths to secluded beaches, and stocked pantries), the resort’s grounds offer an authentic, low-key island vibe, from the friendly staff to the regular guests mingling over cocktails and karaoke. In addition to all meals, drinks, and airport transfers by private boat, villas start at $1,657 per night. For a sunset cocktail and fresh seafood dishes sourced from local waters, stop by Hill House Restaurant if you can’t swing a few nights in a villa.
There are several different accommodation options available on Staniel Cay, the most popular of which is the private bungalows of the Staniel Cay Yacht Club, which is minutes from the pigs. There is a lively yet relaxed beach bar at the yacht club, one of Jimmy Buffett’s favorites, steps from these colorful retreats on the top of the marina.
The Isles Inn, located above the Isles General Store, offers rates starting at $150 a night and free golf cart use, which is the island’s preferred way to get around.
What other animals can you meet?
You can get up close and personal with a lot of animals in the Bahamas, not just the beach pigs, although they might be the most famous. There are nurse sharks on Compass Cay, and Exuma Island iguanas on Bitter Guana Cay, but you’ll feel as if there are plenty when they run toward you across the sand.
During low tide, coplum beach’s sand bars are often lined with sand dollars, which are easy to spot. At Farmer’s Cay, sea turtles can be fed conch, and many world-class spots, including Thunderball Grotto and The Aquarium, offer snorkeling opportunities with a wide range of fish.
