Pig Island or Swimming with Pigs in the Bahamas

Amusing? Sure! Cute? Of course! The swimming pigs of Pig Island in the Bahamas are a unique feature of these spectacular islands. In fact, they’ve become so popular that tourists are coming from all over the world to this little corner of paradise just to see these not-so-little critters.

Yet people can’t help but wonder, how did the pigs get there? Why do they swim? Do any other pigs swim? What’s Pig Island’s history and how are the pigs surviving so well there? Finally, how do I get to Pig Island to see these amazing swimming pigs for myself?

Lucky for you, we’re here to answer all your questions!

How to Get to Pig Island, Bahamas

If you want to see the little piglets, you have to get there first. Pig Island isn’t the island’s real name. Its actual name is Big Major Cay and it’s part of the Exuma group of islands in the Bahamas. The Exumas encompasses all of the Exuma archipelago: a group of over 360 islands, or cays.

Once you get there, you can’t actually stay on Big Major Cay because its only inhabitants are the 20 odd pigs and a few stray cats and goats. Instead, we recommend you book your hotel reservations in Georgetown located on Great Exuma Island. Not to worry, though, there are plenty of boat tours from Georgetown to Big Major Cay.

Getting to Georgetown, Exuma, Bahamas is fairly easy. You can get to the Exumas by plane or boat from a number of different places.

The Legend of the Swimming Pigs

There are multiple stories related to the swimming pigs of Big Major Cay, Bahamas. The definitive answer as to how the pigs got there has never been found, but these are the most common legends surrounding the swimming pigs:

The Swimming Pigs Were Brought By Sailors

This tale says that the pigs were brought by sailors intending to come back and eat them at a later time. Lore has it that the sailors (who may or may not have been pirates) used Pig Island as a very large pig pen: the water preventing the pigs from escaping. The story goes that the sailors have yet to return to claim their pigs.

The Swimming Pigs Escaped A Shipwreck

This one’s a bit more exciting because it involves pigs running for their lives (or in this case, swimming). This legend suggests that some time ago a ship was wrecked near Big Major Cay either because of bad weather or because of an attack by another ship. Either way the pigs aboard somehow escaped the wreckage of the ship and swam for dear life until they reached land and made their home there. Lucky pigs, finding a deserted island with no predators. It sounds like pig paradise!

The Pigs Escaped From Another Island

This one is a bit more far-fetched. It holds that at some point in history an island or islet neighboring Big Major Cay was home to a pig farm. One day someone left the pen door open and the little porkies ran like hell until they reached the shore and realized there was nowhere to go. When they saw their owner coming, they did the only thing they could do. They swam until they reached the safety of Pig Island.

Pig Island Is A Marketing Strategy

This story isn’t nearly as poetic as the others surrounding Pig Beach. This particular tale has it that some business people in Georgetown decided they needed a new way to attract tourists to the Exumas. Someone proposed swimming pigs. A wild idea to be sure, but somehow it worked since Pig Island is now world-famous for its little swimming pigs.

Conclusion

Which of the legends around Big Major Cay, Bahamas do you like best? Are you ready to book your vacation to the Exuma Islands? If you do go there, please say hi to our little swine friends for us. Have a nice stay and don’t forget to come back for more awesome vacation suggestions! Until then, Pig Island awaits.

Image sources: depositphotos.com.