Pigs of Paradise: The Story of the World-Famous Swimming Pigs

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There are several ways you can do a tour swimming pigs in the Exuma Islands. Here are the most popular tour operators and what they offer. 3 N’s Exuma Vacations Swimming with Pigs Tour Who knew they are good swimmers? The three-month old business sees both locals and tourists swimming, walking and feeding over 10 of the four-legged mammals on a tour on one of Antigua and Barbuda’s most popular beaches, Runaway. Personally, I don’t think it’s worth doing such a huge trip like this to see just the pigs for a short period of time, so don’t recommend it. Just like I wouldn’t recommend people driving four hours to the Grand Canyon from Las Vegas for the day, just to see it for 15-minutes!

I mentioned earlier that it’s not worth doing a tour all the way from Nassau on a speed boat only to swim with pigs. We loved our tour with3N’s Exuma Vacations because we got to see other gems in the Bahamas too and spend a good amount of time there! If this doesn’t bother you, consider the safety of the tourists. While I was in the Bahamasfor just one week, I heard several first-hand stories from tourists who were bitten by the pigs. One young man was bitten in the butt when he turned away from the pigs while holding food. Even I was bitten when one of the pigs lunged to grab something out of my hand and accidentally caught my finger at the same time in her powerful jaws. But unlike kittens, they’re as rough as sandpaper, but still beautiful to touch as they swim by. One of the handlers There are plenty of other reasons to visit the Bahamas—the beaches arebeautiful, and you can enjoy activities like snorkeling, paddle boarding, island hopping, and even swimming near wild sharks. The locals are incredibly friendly and kind, and it really is a beautiful place. One Bahamian wrote in sharing the following: Before going on this swimming with pigs tour on Pig Beach, Kalyra was adamant she was not swimming with the pigs as they are filthy – despite my protests that they were actually very clean animals.

is an acronym for the 3 generations of women, Nellie (the grandmother and inspiration), Nikki, (the mother and foundation), and Natajia (the daughter and continuation). I think the real star of this show though is the stunning natural beauty of the pig’s Exuma Island home. And there are now Pig Beaches popping up all over the Bahama Islands in an effort to capitalize on this world-famous phenomenon. A rope guides you through the small tunnels into the grotto where you can snorkel. We snorkeled at many places around the world, so I was surprised to see how pristine it was here. Oh, they have to kill the pigs or there would be too many—especially when they get aggressive. They can be a danger to the tourists, so they have to go.” The hurricane season usually lasts from early June to late November, and sometimes into early December. Weirdly, Staniel Cay has never been hit by a major hurricane, but that doesn’t mean it can’t happen.

But as soon as we arrived, and she saw those pigs swimming out to meet us, she was hooked and jumped straight in the water to spend time with them. She even cuddled and fed a piglet milk – given to her by one of the attendants. If you’re planning ahead and wondering when to fit this attraction into your Bahamas itinerary, then you will want to plan your visit for outside the hurricane season. This is an all-woman and locally owned agency by a mother-daughter team who were both born and raised in Staniel Cay. Hey gorgeous! This guide to swimming with pigs in the Exumas, Bahamas will tell you all you need to know including how to get there, what are the best tours, what to expect, proper etiquette, and the other incredible things you see and do on the swimming with pigs tour. It has only been the past five years that swimming with these pigs became a thing and now it is one of the most popular things to do in all of the Bahamas. It’s ok to pet themWe had a couple of minutes to enjoy their immense presence and funny behavior as they came for their food, remembering to put both hands in the air and say, “No food,” when they came near us wanting to eat. Hands up means no food! Pig bites can be pretty serious. Pigs have strong jaws and can have a very crushing, bone breaking bite. They also often break skin. They can do serious damage.” Pig Bites Can Cause Serious Damage Like anyone, too much sun is not good. Pigs can get skin cancer and other illnesses and likely suffer for a long time without treatment.”

elease the pigs!” Moses Poitier yelled from the knee-deep aquamarine water gently lapping the shore of Crystal Beach on Grand Bahama Island. And like well-trained piggies, they’d quietly swim away until they found the food they were looking for. I left the feeding to the experts, content to just watch and giggle at them. There are also swimming with pig tours from Nassau that go to other islands closer to Nassau. But note, these will not take you to the original swimming pigs, but to places that have placed pigs there to benefit from eager tourists wanting to see them. What to expect from a Swimming with Pigs Bahamas tour? They are not shy about posing!

Many of the cays you pass by are privately owned, so enjoy a glimpse of large mansions and pristine private beaches. Private home Surprisingly, Staniel Cay is good to visit year-round, and we had lovely 80F temps in January. What Are The Boats Like? Captain Dave on our tour boat Many individuals and companies profit (big time) off of them. As we see time and again, profiting off of the lives of others often leads to exploitation. More “pig islands” are sprouting up.

There is an option to join a swimming with pig tour on a speed boat from Nassau.A few important things to note: I asked Susie from Farm Sanctuary about this, wondering what safety concerns people should be aware of when interacting with these hungry, feral-domestic hybrid pigs. She said: The Bahamas recently outlawed the fishing of sea turtles andwas declared a shark sanctuary, protecting sharks from commercial fishing. In 1958 The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was the first national park of its kind to have both a land and sea component. The 176 square mile park is a ‘no-take’ park where nothing within its boundaries can be removed. We haven’t really decided on the age, but it depends on how well the charity goes, because obviously, the animals are very expensive to keep, and as we continue to breed and bring out new piglets then obviously the older ones would have to live out their life on the land, so at least, for a year or two years that’s how long we would want the pigs to live a happy life on our land. We will take care of them. Some of the locals who come out here, they want to help us,” she said.The original Pig Beach is on Pig Island which is actually called Big Major Cay. It’s an uninhabited island next door to Staniel Cay, the gateway to the Exuma Cays. Local guides, Caribbean boat tour companies, and nearby resorts are all profiting from travelers who would give anything—and pay anything—to swim and snap a selfie with the Bahamian pigs. Tourist Safety Is Certainly An Issue But we don’t need to continue to spread a false story of happiness at the expense of these pigs—especially when there are pigs like Esther the Wonder Pig who is a real-life example of a truly happy, healthy, beloved pig. Finally, I got a more upfront answer from one of the locals who grew up on a neighboring island. With confidence, she said: During the summer season, we will only be conducting morning tours. This is because we experience very high temperatures which is not suitable for the piggies.