The defining animal encounter in the Caribbean — a colony of wild pigs who have lived on a deserted Exuma beach for decades and swim out to greet arriving boats. A bucket-list Bahamas experience.
Why It’s Worth Your Time
Big Major Cay in the Exumas is home to one of the most surreal wildlife experiences on Earth: a colony of friendly wild pigs who have inhabited the beach for decades (origin stories vary — abandoned by sailors, dropped by developers, descended from livestock) and learned to swim out to greet arriving boats in hopes of food. The pigs are wild but accustomed to human contact. Day trips run from Nassau by seaplane or speedboat, or from Staniel Cay by dinghy. Swimming pigs can be aggressive around food — do not feed them from near your face, and do not bring alcohol near the animals.
What Stands Out
- The defining wildlife encounter in the Caribbean
- Wild pigs that swim out to greet arriving boats
- Day trips available from Nassau by seaplane or speedboat
- 10 minutes from Staniel Cay Yacht Club by dinghy
- Do not feed pigs near your face — they can bite