A swim with the pigs excursion in the Bahamas allows you to visit the famous Nassau swimming pigs. However, despite what some people may call them, they aren’t in the capital – they’re in the Exumas.
Because of that, no trip to the Bahamas is complete without embarking on Exuma excursions from Nassau or another location.
Swim With the Pigs Excursion to See the Nassau Swimming Pigs
Swimming Pigs Tour to Exuma
As mentioned, the famous swimming pigs are in Exuma Cays, a district of the country with 365 islands. Given its more remote location, the easiest way to reach the area is by signing up for a swim with the pigs excursion.
On these trips, companies bring travelers to the Exumas on a swimming pigs tour. This allows you to sit back and enjoy the sites around you without having to worry about transportation or planning an itinerary.
Besides the pigs, you can also look forward to several other sites close to Big Major Cay (the official name of Pig Island) on a swim with the pigs excursion.
Pig Beach Excursion From Nassau by Plane
In most cases, we recommend signing up for a swim with the pigs excursion that travels by plane. Air travel is:
- Efficient: Flights from Nassau and Georgetown arrive in around 30 minutes, and flights from Miami arrive in 2 hours (otherwise unreachable by boat)
- More comfortable: Skip the uncomfortable and bumpy journey across the water and enjoy a private-class plane
- Not as Crowded: Travel with a small group or charter your own plane
- A Picture-Perfect Experience: It’s hard to beat the views of Exuma from the airplane window!
Sign up for a Pig Island tour that travels by plane to see unbeatable views.
Once you land on Staniel Cay (an island close to Pig Beach), you’ll then switch to a water taxi to explore the area.
While we recommend signing up for a Pig Beach excursion from Nassau that travels by plane, boat tours from Georgetown can be a good option too!
Where will you take your Swimming Tour from?
- Exuma Tour from Nassau by Plane
- Exuma Tour from Miami by Plane
- Exuma Tour from Georgetown by Powerboat
Swimming With Pigs: How Did They Get There?
Swimming with pigs is, of course, the highlight of a swim with the pigs excursion. But while Big Major Cay is famous today, not everyone knows the history of the island.
Interestingly, no one can say with certainty how the pigs arrived on their island. Some believe they were shipwrecked and swam to shore, while others say that farmers from nearby Staniel Cay brought them to Pig Island.
Other people will tell you that the cute and friendly pigs are all part of an elaborate scheme to bring more tourists to the region!
What to Expect
Regardless of how the pigs arrived at Big Major Cay, you can see a couple of them in various shapes and sizes on a swim with the pigs excursion today.
A swimming pigs tour is the best way to visit Big Major Cay and other nearby islands.
As farmers have traveled by boat to feed the pigs for years, they’ve become conditioned to expect food when boats arrive. That’s made them eager to greet everyone who arrives at their island paradise – so much so that they’ll swim out to say hello.
Besides watching them splash around in the water, you can also hang out with the pigs on the beach, as well as explore their island home.
Swimming With Nurse Sharks
While the “Nassau Pigs” are highlights of any swim with the pigs excursion, some people find that they enjoy nearby Compass Cay just as much as Pig Beach. This small island is the perfect spot to get up close and personal with nurse sharks!
On a Pig Beach excursion from Nassau, you’ll visit the Compass Cay Marina to see schools of nurse sharks swimming around the water. Some of these beautiful creatures can grow up to ten feet in length.
Compass Cay is one of the best places in the Bahamas to swim with sharks.
If you want, you can even hop in the water to be with the sharks. Nurse sharks are docile, so the experience is safe but exhilarating nonetheless!
Discover the Best Exuma Attractions!
Many people love swimming with pigs and nurse sharks, but it’s difficult to say what your favorite part of the swimming pigs tour will be. Travelers get to see several different sites and attractions – all of which are amazing.
On a swim with the pigs excursion, expect to also visit these Exuma Attractions:
- Staniel Cay, the gateway to the Exumas you fly into
- Thunderball Grotto, underwater caves and James Bond movie filming location
- An underwater plane wreck, a great snorkeling spot
- Pipe Creek Sand Bars, stunning sandbars at low tide
- Bitter Guana Cay, home to an endangered species of iguana, the Bahamian northern rock iguana
Swim With the Pigs Excursion: Your Dream Day Trip
A swim with the pigs excursion takes you from Nassau, Miami, or Georgetown to see the famous “Nassau Pigs” (also known as the Exuma Pigs).
A swimming pigs tour also lets you see nurse sharks, iguanas, sandbars, and several other fantastic Exuma sites.
Get in contact with us today to make your dream day trip a reality.
