Pigs of Paradise: The Story of the World-Famous Swimming Pigs

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But it gets worse. Before I even arrived, I wondered what would happen when the pigs started overpopulating the infamous “Pig island,” since there are no predators around and the only limiting resource, I imagined, was food.

I mentioned earlier that it’s not worth doing a tour all the way from Nassau on a speed boat only to swim with pigs. We loved our tour with3N’s Exuma Vacations because we got to see other gems in the Bahamas too and spend a good amount of time there! Pigs can have upwards of twenty piglets each year, and they can start having babies when they’re just a year and a half old. Without killing the pigs (or giving the piglets away to locals for food), there would be no way to maintain the small population of pigs on the various islands. The pigs can suffer from severe sunburn and skin cancer. I counted them. There were maybe 20 or 25 pigs total , and most were babies, adolescents, or young mothers. “Where are all the other pigs?” I asked one tour guide who was boasting about how she named all the piglets, and comes every day to feed them pancakes or veggies. I’ve been in worse places, but I’m not a student anymore so I would probably walk past if in the area again.

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Finally, I got a more upfront answer from one of the locals who grew up on a neighboring island. With confidence, she said:

If the weather is bad, they won’t go because of choppy seas. But, if you’re flying in, or staying on the island, they can wait until the weather passes (which is common in the Exumas). Generally, if anyone gets bitten, it’s because they have made choices like this. I was grateful for the preparation we had from Captain Dave before getting in the water with them.They are exposed to the sun, rain, and especially the harsh Caribbean storms and hurricanes. The pigs are an unusual feral-domestic hybrid. Well, her grandparents were the original inhabitants of Staniel Cay and so she knows how the pigs moved from that island to the one next door, Big Major Cay.

We learned the true story of where the pigs came from Natajia at Embrace Resort. And on what authority does she have to tell this? Staniel Cay has the closest airport to the pigs, so most visitors joining the Pig Island tours by plane from Nassau or Paradise Island will arrive here.She explained that it was her love for animals that really birthed the vision for this tourist attraction as that saved several of the piglets from a farm that was being closed. The others are ones that she raised on her own farm. There are several ways you can do a tour swimming pigs in the Exuma Islands. Here are the most popular tour operators and what they offer. 3 N’s Exuma Vacations Swimming with Pigs Tour Who knew they are good swimmers? Tours depart once all guests flying in from Nassau arrive. Inclement weather may also delay departure. But with the Exumas, the downpours often don’t last long. Have patience, you will still get your four-hour, half-day tour no matter when you depart. But we don’t need to continue to spread a false story of happiness at the expense of these pigs—especially when there are pigs like Esther the Wonder Pig who is a real-life example of a truly happy, healthy, beloved pig. Yep, we were one degree of separation from many famous stars including Michael Jordan, Pooh Bear, Paris Hilton, and Johnny Depp.