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

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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 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.

I kneeled down to greet them. They were so tiny—and dirty! They explored my hands, my shoes, my camera—everything—with their little snouts covered in sand. If the weather is bad, they won’t go because of choppy seas. But, if you’re flying in, or staying on the island, they can wait until the weather passes (which is common in the Exumas). Well, her grandparents were the original inhabitants of Staniel Cay and so she knows how the pigs moved from that island to the one next door, Big Major Cay. 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. I have not seen a place as beautiful since Whitehaven Beach in Queensland. With its swirling colors of white sand and 50 shades of blue, it was very similar to this protected and remote area of Australia that, like Pipe Creek, is only accessible by boat.But unlike kittens, they’re as rough as sandpaper, but still beautiful to touch as they swim by. One of the handlers We can also put pressure on the government, tour companies, and local resorts to do better. There is currently no oversight or transparency. We really need to act now to stop this problem from growing (and spreading to more islands), and also urgethe government and tour companies to at the very least neuter the male pigs, provide sturdy shelter to protect them from the storms, and assign someone to look out for their care and wellbeing (food, water, sun protection, veterinary care, etc). Choose Cruelty-Free Travel & Compassionate Vacations The most important thing you have to worry about is if they walk on your feet,” cautioned Poitier, who repeatedly told us not to hand-feed them (hence the skewers) or “try to ride them.” I’ll show you sit,” said the piggy leaping at him with teeth bared to snatch the carrot he was dangling above its head. He kind of squealed, threw the carrot, and ran!

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. Note: If you stay on Staniel Cay, you can also see a lot of nurse sharks around the Yacht Club marina. They feed off the scraps the fishermen throw in after cleaning their fish. Snorkeling at Thunderball Grotto The Grotto is awesome!

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I never realized how much of a thing swimming with pigs would be but so many in our community enthusiastically responded with, “ I had no idea you could swim with pigs.” “I’ve never considered the Bahamas before, but now I’m planning on it.” Here are some other stops on the swimming with pigs boat tours. Visiting The Iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay Iguana Island

You can do the private tours from Staniel Cay or via a scenic flight from Nassau. Alternative: Speed Boat tour from Nassau or Paradise Island Speed boat from Nassau Pipe Creek is said to be one of the most spectacular sandbars in the Exumas, possibly The Bahamas. You need low tide and a small boat to access it. I counted them. There were maybe 20 or 25 pigs total , and most were babies, adolescents, or young mothers. “Where are all the other pigs?” I asked one tour guide who was boasting about how she named all the piglets, and comes every day to feed them pancakes or veggies. The boats are quite small to allow for easy navigation around the islands, beaches, sandbars, and tide changes. But, if this works for you and you really want to see the pigs, then go for it. It would be a more affordable option and I’m sure others have enjoyed it.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. 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. Compass Cay Marina has one of the rare totally protected harbors in the Exumas. It’s a haven for boats, particularly big yachts. Keep an eye out as Michael Jordan was near here only a few days before us. So, you want to swim with pigs in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of the Bahamas? We did just that in the beautiful Exumas Islands, and this is how you can do it too! Our kids loved the experience 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.