Even as a native of the Bahamas it took me 32
years of life to make my way down to see the infamous swimming pigs of Exuma.
Although native, I have spent almost half of my life away from the beautiful
shores of the Bahamas, and the older I get the more I realize the unmistakable
beauty the islands of the Bahamas hold compared to other international locale.
After witnessing the infamous swimming pigs on television shows like TheBachelor I found it quite appalling that I had never been to visit the pigs
myself. So in 2016 I set off on a mission to swim with the pigs.
Lets partake in a short geography lesson. The
Bahamas is known as an Archipelago of islands, with a total of 700 islands and
cays, with approx. 30 of the islands inhabited. Over 70% of the Bahamas
population lives in the capital Nassau.
The swimming pigs reside on their own tiny
island (baller alert!) that belongs to the Exuma chain of islands in the
Bahamas. The Exumas are a less inhabited group of islands with a little over
7000 residents. These islands were the sight of the infamous #fyrefestival
debacle, that rocked the internet after luxury festival organizers left
participants stranded and bands were a no show. For the record if I had to end
up on a refugee camp, I couldn’t think of a better place than the Exuma
islands.
I may be partial as a local but in my travels
I have not came across many destinations that rival the Exuma chains of islands
in regards to crystal clear turquoise blue waters, pristine sandy beaches and a
plethora of wild life. It is no wonder why so many celebrities and magazines venture
to this island paradise for vacation.
In all it is relatively easy to get to Exumas
in particular from the USA. Several international carriers fly directly to
Georgetown International Airport in Exuma. Delta Airlines flies directly from
their Atlanta hub to Georgetown. American Airlines flies from Miami
International Airport and Air Canada flies direct into Georgetown from Toronto
Pearson Airport. Many people also fly into Nassau International Airport and
schedule local airlines to Exuma from Nassau, a quick 45-minute flight.
I flew into Georgetown, Exuma from Nassau,
and booked a 2-night stay at the Augusta Bay hotel, in Georgetown. We spent our
first day exploring the local scene and island cuisine. In Georgetown a five
minute boat ride across the bay reveals a local spot called Chat N’ Chill Beach
Bar & Grill. You can spend the day swimming on the beautiful beaches, or
laying lazily in a hammock or even lounging in the shallow waters while a stingray
swims up for a gentle stroke.
Travel Tip: Boats are also available for rent
in Georgetown where you can sail the shallow waters and look for private coves
to snorkel and explore.
Travel tip: To truly appreciate the landscape
of the Exumas I recommend renting an open back Jeep Wrangler to explore the
dirt roads. Points of interest include the Tropic of Cancer beach, Jolly Hall
Beach, Tropic Breeze Restaurant & Catch A Fire Bar.
On day 2 we scheduled our excursion to swim
with the pigs with Exuma Water Tours. We scheduled a full day Exuma Cays
Adventure Tour that involved a visit to Starfish Bay, sight-see private islands
of celebrities like David Copperfield and Faith Hill, calming cave, sunken
plane wreck, snorkel thunder ball grotto (James Bond film site), swimming pigs,
a sand bar excursion, swim with nurse sharks and pet the local iguanas. This
excursion is a must do when you go to the Exumas. It is definetly a bucket list
check.
The Pigs were the highlight of our trip; they
are a group of about a Dozen Pigs Adults and little piggies! They swim right
out to the boat once you pull up. They are very friendly, and just want to be
fed cabbages and vegetables. Swimming with the pigs I made a few friends, that
made me swear off bacon for a month, which is a pretty big deal for me. Swimming
with the nurse sharks at Compass Cay was also exhilarating, while petting the
iguanas proved a little more daunting than expected. This adventure offers a
great balance of nature and beauty.
We spent our last night at the local fish fry
in Georgetown, where we listened to local music and ate native cuisine before
heading back on our flight the following morning.
Travel Tip: Other options to swim with the
pigs involve flying into Staniel Cay, an airport location much closer to the
home of the swimming pigs and less inhabited. Also, same day powerboat
adventure tours from Nassau Bahamas go daily down to the Exuma cays to swim
with the pigs.
