If you’re looking for a one-of-a-kind family vacation that has swimming, snorkeling, and scuba diving, you don’t want to miss Pig Beach. Wait, Pig Beach? Never fear! It didn’t earn the name from being dirty. What this unique destination offers is clear, warm water and the chance to swim with — you guessed it — wild pigs!
Big Major Cay is a tiny island in the Bahamas inhabited only by a large herd of feral pigs. How they got there, no one knows for sure. Some say they descended from pigs that swam ashore after a shipwreck, others believe they are the great-grandchildren of animals that were kept on the island decades ago as livestock used to resupply ships sailing back to England. However they got there, they’re not leaving anytime soon, and they love heading to the beach just as much as humans.
Tourists flock to Pig Island each year to swim and snorkel with these four-legged aquanauts in the crystalline, tropical waters surrounding the tiny Cay. These surfing swine survive on the island thanks in part to freshwater springs found there. Visitors and crews of passing boats also provide plenty of snacks and additional food.
If you’d like to visit Pig Beach, boat trips to Big Major Cay can be booked through many tour operators on the main island. While in the Bahamas, you’ll find a wealth of scuba and snorkeling opportunities that are a great fit for family fun. On the east side of Little Bahamas Bank you’ll find the Devil’s Backbone, a shallow reef with tons of fish that is perfect for beginners and snorkelers. In this same area is The Abacos, where reef structures go only about 40 feet deep, a good place for beginners to get some experience in a high visibility, colorful environment.
With reefs under nearly every inch of water surrounding this island nation, the Bahamas has a lot to offer divers, both new and advanced, so start planning your next dive vacation today!