In this article, learn everything you need to know about pig beach and how to swim with pigs in the Bahamas.
We recently joined a day tour with 3N’s Exuma vacations to see the swimming piggies with our own eyes, and the experience really did live up to our expectations. When you check out the Bahamas, you must see the famous swimming pigs — it’s quite the spectacle!
Crystal-clear water, blue sky, pigs that not only live on a deserted cay but also swim…what’s not to love?
The setting of Pig beach is stunning, the piggies were friendly, and the whole situation was the perfect mix of bizarre and awesome!
Sieltä he tulevat! Seeing the swimming pigs in the Bahamas was such a unique experience
Why are there swimming pigs in the Bahamas? What island do you swim with pigs? how much does it cost to swim with pigs in the Bahamas? I’ll cover all of these questions and more in this complete guide.
Kiireessä?
☞ Click here for the top-rated swimming pigs tour from Nassau
☞ Click here for the top-rated swimming pigs tour from Staniel Cay
Here’s everything you need to know about swimming with pigs in the Bahamas.
Sisällysluettelo
Choose Your tour Operator
Visit the Swimming Pigs from Nassau
Visit the Swimming Pigs from Staniel Cay
Where to stay to Swim With Pigs
Cost of Swimming With Pigs in The Bahamas
Why are there Swimming Pigs in The Bahamas?
Where is Pig Beach?
Can You Swim With the Pigs?
Can You Feed the Pigs?
Is it safe to Swim With Pigs in The Bahamas?
Caring for the Swimming Pigs in the Bahamas
Swimming Pigs Video
Conclusion
Choose Your tour Operator
First of all, you should know that there are some imposter pigs in the Bahamas! The original, famous pigs are found on big major Cay, just a 5-minute boat ride from Staniel Cay in the Exumas.
There are a few tour operators to choose from, but we enjoyed our day with the highly-rated (#1 on TripAdvisor) 3N’s Exuma Vacations, which offers small group tours (12-15 people only), with a more personalized feel.
What I love most about this company, however, is the fact that it’s 100% locally owned and operated.
In fact, the “N” in 3N’s stands for the names of the family members: Nellie (grandmother), Nikki (mother), and Natajia (daughter). supporting the female-owned, locally-operated business is one of the many benefits of joining this tour.
The wonderful women of 3N’s Exuma vacations and embrace resort (Natajia, Nikki, Dexi and Gracie)
Unless you have your own boat, the best ways to see the swimming pigs are to either stay on Staniel Cay and join a day tour, or check out the swimming pigs from Nassau on a day trip by plane.
Visit the Swimming Pigs from Nassau
If you’re based in Nassau, it’s easy to see the swimming pigs of the Bahamas.
This day trip whisks you away in the morning by plane from Nassau to Staniel Cay, and back in the late afternoon in time for a sundowner. This is the most luxurious, safe, and comfortable way to check out the swimming pigs from Nassau!
First, you hop on a charter flight from Nassau to Staniel Cay (which is included in the tour package). At the airport on Staniel Cay, a representative from 3N’s Exuma vacations will be waiting for you to take you to the pier — which is just steps from the airport.
Board the well-maintained speedboat, get briefed on the day by the captain, and head off to experience the swimming pigs.
Photo Bomb! Swimming with the pigs was so much fun
Of course, the day trip will include other major highlights of the area. You’ll see the Thunderball Grotto, the nurse sharks at Compass Cay, the Bahamian rock iguanas, a postcard-perfect sandbar, a sunken plane, and a stop for lunch.
Learn more about visiting the swimming pigs from Nassau and reserve your spot here, or click the button below.
Book Swimming Pigs from Nassau
Visit the Swimming Pigs from Staniel Cay
This is the swimming pigs tour that we joined and highly recommend if you plan on basing yourself on Staniel Cay. It’s the exact same as the tour from Nassau, minus the flight. learn more about it here.
Wake up, enjoy a lazy morning coffee and be ready for the tour around 9:00am. I say “around” because things really do work on island time here.
Once the plane lands from Nassau, you’ll meet up with that group and head to the pier — which is just steps from the airport and embrace resort (which is owned by 3N’s and is where we stayed).
Embrace resort on Staniel Cay
Hop on the speedboat, get a briefing from the captain, and then sit back, relax and enjoy the day!
The itinerary of this trip is the same as if you joined from Nassau. Swimming with the pigs is the highlight of course, plus Compass Cay (with nurse sharks), Bitter Guana Cay (with Bahamian rock iguanas), the Thunderball Grotto, the gorgeous pipe Cay sandbar, and a sunken plane.
The stunning pipe Cay sandbar is one of the stops during the fantastic day trip
During our trip, I appreciated how we were given the freedom to go off and do our own thing if we wanted (photos, videos, etc.). The order in which we visited the highlights was somewhat up to us as well.
If we didn’t want to join a particular activity such as snorkelling, that was no problem, we could just stay on the boat. If there was a choice between swimming underwater and through a cave, or keeping our head above water, we were able to discuss which option we preferred.
It was nice to have a say and give our input!
To find out more about this day tour from Staniel Cay and to reserve your spot, click here or the button below.
Book Swimming Pigs from Staniel Cay
Where to stay to Swim With Pigs
The two best places to base yourself to go swimming with the famous pigs in the Bahamas are Nassau and Staniel Cay.
Where to stay in Nassau
In Nassau, there are numerous accommodation options to choose from.
If you book the Gold/All-Inclusive swimming pigs package with 3N’s Exuma Vacations, you’ll receive return transportation from your hotel in Nassau to the airport. If you don’t choose the Gold tour package, you simply meet at the airport in Nassau.
If you’re staying on Paradise Island in Nassau, your pick-up time will be around 6:00 AM – 6:30AM and cable beach area is 6:30AM – 6:45AM.
Where to stay in Staniel Cay
We stayed at embrace resort on Staniel Cay, which has quite possibly the most friendly staff of anywhere we’ve stayed! Nikki is the owner and Natajia, Gracie and Dexi are the three women in the office who are so valuable and welcoming.
Our comfy room at embrace Resort
There are 7 colourful villas here offering balconies and pool views.
Embrace is located right by the airport and the pier, which means you can sleep in on the morning of the pig tour and be ready to go around 9:00AM.
Goats On The road readers receive a complimentary bottle of wine on check-in at embrace Resort. simply use promo code GOATPIGS when booking. learn more here.
Pro Tip: embrace resort offers their guests 30% off the swimming with pigs in the Bahamas tours.
☞ See Also: 10 best beaches in the Caribbean
Cost of Swimming With Pigs in The Bahamas
The cost of the fun day trip with 3N’s Exuma vacations is $499 from Nassau for adults (including flights), or $249 for adults if you’re staying on Staniel Cay. here are some more details:
Cost of Swimming with Pigs from Nassau
Adults: $499
Children under 6: $250
Infants 2 and under are free
What’s Included:
Round-trip flights from Nassau
Airport greeting in Staniel Cay
All entrance fees, taxes, and fuel surcharges
Pullovesi
Complimentary WiFi on board
Food for the swimming pigs
Snorkel gear
Storage in the office
Towels
Transfers to lunch
WiFi at the office
Unlimited soft drinks
Assorted snacks & chips
Pro Tip: If you opt for the Gold package for just $100 more, you’ll receive roundtrip transportation from your hotel to the airport, beer on the boat, and a tasty lunch. learn more here.
Cost of Swimming with Pigs from Staniel Cay
Adults: $249
Children under 6: $100
Infants 2 and under are free.
What’s Included:
All entrance fees and taxes
Pullovesi
Assorted snacks and chips
Food for the swimming pigs
Snorkel gear
Storage in the office
Towels
Transfers to and from Staniel Cay Yacht Club or Staniel Cay Airport
WiFi at the office
Pro Tip: embrace resort guests receive a 30% discount on the tour. learn more about visiting the pigs from Staniel Cay here.
Why are there Swimming Pigs in The Bahamas?
This is probably the most frequently asked question. It’s not typically that you see pigs on tropical beaches!
The swimming pigs are cute, but why are they on this beach?!
There are a few folk tales surrounding why the pigs on are the beach, but since Captain Dave with 3N’s Exuma vacations and the owner of embrace resort are both born and raised on Staniel Cay, we got the real story.
Basically, the locals of Staniel Cay were keeping their pigs in pens. As you can imagine, since the cay is less than 2 square miles, the smell became a bit of a problem.
Luckily, there was a deserted cay next door, so they decided to move the pigs there. When it came time to feed them, the farmers would simply hop in their boat and make their way to big major Cay.
The pigs started associating the sound of the boat motor with food and decided to swim out to greet their owners.
Yachties and sailors started noticing that pigs were swimming out to greet them as well, someone took a photo of the scenario and posted it online…and the rest is history.
Now, the swimming pigs in the Bahamas are one of the most popular attractions in the Exumas.
Where is Pig Beach?
The island where pigs swim is typically called “Pig Beach”. But, that’s just the nickname given to the beach that the swimming pigs live on.
The island (cay) itself is called big major Cay and it’s located in the Exumas, right next to Staniel Cay. find it on the map here, and check out the image below.
This is where Staniel Cay is located, and Pig beach is just beside it.
Can You Swim sikojen kanssa?
Kyllä, voit ehdottomasti uida sikojen kanssa!
Kun vene saapuu sian rannalle, se on tyhjäkäynnillä. Siat tulevat innoissaan näkemään sinut ja uivat ulos veneeseen. On suositeltavaa uida ennen veneen kiinnittämistä hiekkaan, kun vesi puhtaaksi syvemmälle se on.
Voitko syöttää sikoja?
Kyllä, voit syöttää sikoja. Itse asiassa, jos siat uivat ulos veneesi ja et ruoki heitä, he ovat melko pettyneitä! Sikakierroksen aikana voit ruokkia heitä leipää.
Onko turvallista uida sikoja Bahama?
Lyhyt vastaus: Kyllä, se on turvallista uida sikojen kanssa. Nämä ovat kuitenkin eläimiä, jotka vaeltaa saarella, ja siellä on joitakin asioita pitää mielessä.
Kapteeni Dave antoi meille ohjeita siitä, miten ruokkia, miten uida ja miten vuorovaikutuksessa sikojen kanssa, jotta meillä oli nautittava kokemus. Tässä on tärkeimmät vinkit, joilla on turvallinen tarkistus sikojen kanssa.
Uinti sikojen kanssa oli niin hauskaa
1. Älä syö niitä rannalla
Siat tulisi ruokkia, kun ne uivat vedessä kahdesta syystä. Ensimmäinen on niin, että he eivät nauti nippu hiekkaa yrittäessäsi syödä ruokaa, jonka olet antanut heille, mikä tekee niistä todella sairaita.
Toinen syy on, jos sinulla on ruokaa sinulle, kun olet maalla, siat voivat tulla voimakkaita ja yrittävät saada sen sinulta. Älä syötä sikoja rannalla tai sinulla on ruokaa sinulle rannalla.
2. Älä juosta
Jos jokin sioista tulee sinulle, kun olet rannalla ja saatte häpeän ulos, älä juokse! Kaikki tämä tapahtuu, on joukko sikoja alkaa jahtaa sinua. Aina kävellä, älä juokse.
3. Laita kätesi ilmassa
Kun sinulla ei ole enää ruokaa, anna sikoja, laita kädet ylös ja näytä heille mitään ei ole jäljellä. He jättävät sinut yksin ja uimaan tai kävelemään löytää joku, jolla on ruokaa.
4. Ui pois rannasta
Siat imevät rannalla ja rannalla. Emme kuitenkaan nähnyt mitään hiekkaa, mutta vedessä, voisimme nähdä siat helpottavat itseään … mutta kalat tulivat nopeasti huolehtimaan jätteistä!
Riippumatta, se ei ole kaikkein saniteettitekijä laittaa pään vedenalainen oikealle rannalla sioilla ympärilleni. Mene uimaan sikojen kanssa syvemmässä, puhdasta vettä.
5. Älä poimi niitä
Joissakin tapauksissa on ok poimia porsaat ja voit jopa pullon syöttää niitä, jos haluat.
Mutta ehdotan, että jättäen lapset yksin, joten et häiritse äitiä. Plus, sikakarvat ovat varsin karkea ja saatat päätyä ihottumaan vatsaan tai rintaan, jos et käytä paita.
6. Anna vatsa hiero
Siat rakastavat saada heidän vatsansa hierotaan! Se on hauskin asia. Voit vapaasti antaa heille rubdown.
Huolehtiminen uima-sioille Bahama
Kun huomasimme, että saarella asuvat siat, matkailijat, jotka tulevat uimaan ja ruokkimaan heitä, myönnän, että olimme hieman epäilevä heidän hyvinvoinnistaan.
Kuitenkin, koska näet uima-siat ensin ja puhut sikayhdistyksen jäseneksi, näimme ja oppineet, että he ovat hyvin hoidettuja.
Tour, turistit ruokkivat heitä leipää, mutta heillä on myös eläinlääkäri, joka tekee usein tarkistuksia, he saavat rokotteita, he ovat syöneet “sianruokaa”, ja (tässä on kicker), he saavat kookosöljyn hierontoja auttamaan ihoa ja hiukset!
Uimapaikan video
Johtopäätös
Jos etsit jotain hauskaa ja ainutlaatuista tehdä matkan aikana, niin uida Bahaman sikojen kanssa pitäisi olla luettelossasi – tai ainakin nähdessään.
Meillä oli niin loistava aika kiertueella ja ei voinut lopettaa nauraa, kun siat uivat kohti ruokaa! Se oli todella nähtävää.
Uima-sioiden päälle todella rakastimme, kuinka kiertue otti monet Exumojen uskomattomista kohokohdista. Olitpa Staniel Cay tai Nassau, käytä yksi lomapäivistäsi 3n: n ja uima-sioilla – voitte