Swimming With Pigs In The Bahamas

Everyone knows pigs cannot fly (unless you’re telling a mighty fib), but if you didn’t know pigs could swim, maybe you should head to the Bahamas to see for yourself. On the uninhabited island of Big Major Cay, you’ll not only find a bunch of tourists bathing in the sun, but you’ll also see a team of hogs snuggling up beside them.

These pigs, found on the imaginatively named “Pig Beach,” are in fact feral, but very friendly with visitors. They live in the bushes of the island, and will often come out to the beach to top up their tan or to go for a dip in the surf. It’s not known how the pigs ended up there, as they are not native to the area and the island itself is not inhabited. Legend has it they swam there after a stormy shipwreck, and others claim sailors left them there to eat later. Whatever the truth is, they’re on the island to stay, and they seem happy!

Tourists can get to the beach by boat, and spend the day sunbathing, petting the pigs, but more importantly, swimming with the pigs. If you have any food on your boat, then they will swim out to demand a helping. The younger piglets are completely harmless, but the older ones tend to be a bit bitey, so watch out.

You can clearly see why it has become such a fantastic tourist attraction, and if you’ve already swum with dolphins and helped endangered baby turtles to sea, then why not try paddling with a pig in the Bahamas?