a must read blog post if you want to visit famous pig beach
Welcome to the famous swimming pigs of the Bahamas! More likely than not… you’ve heard of this magical spot in the Caribbean. For as long as I can remember… I’ve always wanted to visit these adorable piggies! And now, that I’ve lived through the amazingness first hand… I wanted to provide you all with super helpful information to make your trip as wonderful as mine was!
First off, a little history on these amazing piggies… These pigs live on Big Major Cay, which is an island in Exuma… an absolutely gorgeous part of the Bahamas. It’s literally less than a 5 minute boat ride north from the well-known Staniel Cay. But it’s like… WHY are the pigs here?! They were originally brought to Staniel Cay by farmers. Once the pigs were on Staniel Cay, they started to swim out into the water to be fed by arriving boaters. Because as we all know… pigs love to eat! And then the pigs thought it would be a good idea to inhabit an island all to themselves! Hehehe!
Second, as a respectful animal lover… let me share a little bit on how these piggies are taken care of… When I was here, I went to visit the pigs on 4 different occasions. I loved them that much! Every time I was there, there was a local person working there. I was told the pigs have shelter, are fed, have access to water, and even get sunblock lathered on them. Right when you arrive at the beach, there are legit like 10 huge signs informing people on how to appropriately interact with the pigs. Now, am I a Pig Beach expert? No, I’m not. Do I know everything about how these pigs are cared for? No, I do not. But from what I saw, and from the people I talked to… the pigs seemed happy, healthy and well-taken care of.
Third, let’s get talking about how to have a fun, safe and successful visit to Pig Beach…
FEEDING THE PIGS
Do NOT feed the pigs directly from your hands. Pigs do bite, and it’s hard to distinguish little pieces of food from human fingers. Eeeeeeeeek!! If the pigs start to run after you, open up your hands and show them that you don’t have any food to give them. Do NOT throw food for the pigs onto the sand. Only throw food for the pigs into the ocean. When pigs ingest too much sand, it can be very harmful for them. Do NOT feed the pigs shit food. Feed them bread, fruits, veggies, and things of the sort. Stay away from things like candy, junk food, and processed food.
INTERACTING WITH THE PIGS
Do NOT hold the baby pigs. There’s literally a huge sign that says this, but people will still do it anyways. The babies don’t like it, and will squeal very loudly. Watch out for your little toes! When the pigs are wading in the shallow water, they are not going to give a shit about stepping on your feet. And these pigs are flipping huge… so, it’s going to really hurt. Watch out for the piggy poops! That’s right! The pigs just poop all over the place… including the ocean water that you’re swimming in. So, don’t swim with your mouth open! HA. Watch out for aggressive pig behavior. I had no bad instances at all… but these are still wild animals, and have a mind of their own!
WHEN TO VISIT THE PIGS
I recommend visiting the pigs at least 2 times… in the morning and in the afternoon. If you visit in the morning, you’ll have a better feeding experience… as the piggies are really hungry for some breakfast! If you visit in the afternoon, you’ll have a better experience with taking photos and petting the pigs… as they’re feeling lazy from eating all day. When we visited in the morning, we got there right at 9:00 AM and we were the first people on the beach. About 15 to 30 minutes after we arrived, the tour boats started arriving in full force. When we visited in the afternoon, we got there around 3:30 PM or so and we also had the entire beach to ourselves. Most tour groups go to Pig Beach in the morning… so, if there are people there in the afternoon… it’s most likely going to be resort guests from nearby islands or boats.
Overall, I had such an amazing time here! My favorite part was just sitting in the sand, and letting the baby pigs come up to me. They love to be loved on! I highly recommend staying at Staniel Cay Yacht Club if you want to visit the pigs. Not only are the pigs located on the island over from the yacht club… but when you stay at the yacht club, you can get a boat included with your stay! This is great because you can visit the pigs whenever you want, and it doesn’t cost you any additional money. To take specific tours to see the little oinkers… it can be really expensive!
Don’t forget to pin me!