The Bahamas’ Swimming Pigs: Their Photographs, Origin Stories and Care

A pig paddling through turquoise water is an image that tends to stay with you. In the Bahamas, it has also become the promise behind many very different excursions.

Before booking, take a moment to look beyond the photograph. Which island will you visit? How much of the day is spent travelling? And how does the excursion treat the animals once everyone steps ashore?

Those questions can help you choose a day that feels good for more than the camera roll.

Start with the island’s actual name

Big Major Cay, in the Exumas, is the best-known home of the swimming pigs. The official Bahamas guide to the Exumas places it near Staniel Cay and explains that access is by boat.

Other pig encounters are advertised elsewhere in the Bahamas. A tour described simply as “swimming with pigs” does not necessarily visit Big Major Cay.

Ask for the named island and departure point in writing. Our Pig Beach destination guide gives more background on the place itself; this guide focuses on choosing the excursion.

Read the journey as carefully as the attraction

Compare time on the water, any flight component, transfers and time at each stop. A day departing from Nassau can be very different from a shorter outing based near Staniel Cay.

Check whether lunch, drinking water, equipment and local fees are included. If several attractions appear in the itinerary, ask how much time is normally allocated to each and what can change because of weather or sea conditions.

Think about your own comfort too. The right boat trip for someone who loves a long crossing may not suit someone who wants a gentle morning close to their accommodation.

Ask what animal care looks like

A useful operator should be able to explain the rules for visitors and who is responsible for the animals’ care. Ask about fresh water, shade, feeding arrangements and how guides respond when an animal moves away or appears distressed.

Look for a clear approach that allows the pigs to choose their distance. Riding, chasing, lifting animals for photographs or enticing them into an encounter they are avoiding should not be part of the experience.

An animal approaching people is not, by itself, proof of good welfare. Food can influence behaviour, so the way an encounter is managed matters.

Leave feeding to the agreed local procedure

Do not improvise with snacks from your bag. Ask whether visitors should feed at all and follow the instructions of the people responsible for the animals. Alcohol and unsuitable treats have no place in an animal encounter.

You can enjoy watching from a respectful distance without holding food or trying to attract a pig towards the camera. Keep your belongings secure and let the guide manage the space around the boat and shore.

Give the day more than one point of interest

The Exumas are an island landscape, not just the setting for a single photograph. Leave room to appreciate the boat journey, changing water colours and the local knowledge of your crew.

If you are comparing other Bahamian experiences, Harbour Island’s pink-sand beach offers a different kind of stay in a different island group. Avoid assuming that famous places across the country can all be added to the same short outing.

A simple booking decision

Choose an excursion that names its destination, explains the complete journey and answers animal-care questions clearly. If the main selling point is unrestricted touching or a guaranteed close-up, keep looking.

A memorable encounter can be brief and quiet. The pleasure is seeing an unusual part of island life while leaving the animals enough space to carry on with their day.

The 2017 swimming-pig deaths explain why care and visitor behaviour deserve serious attention alongside the appeal of the excursion.

Several origin stories circulated

The old feature repeated accounts involving sailors leaving pigs, animals escaping or surviving a wreck, and a deliberate tourism venture. Those competing stories should remain identified as stories, not merged into one certain explanation. The existence of pigs on the island is clear in the photographs; their precise arrival history requires separate evidence.

Food helps explain the approach to boats

The original account, including photographer Eric Cheng’s observations, connected the pigs’ movement towards arriving boats with food brought by people. An approach that looks like a personal greeting can therefore have a practical explanation. Jim Abernethy was also named in the feature’s photographic account. Recognising the photographers and the feeding context gives the five retained images a fuller story than saying the animals simply live in luxury.