Exuma Xcursion: Mission to swim with the pigs

By Jay P - June 22, 2017




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. 


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