Swiming with the Pigs

March 13th,  Day 47 of voyage, Day 37 in the Bahamas

Pig Beach, Big Major Cay

Never been to Disney World.   Don't really like cruise ships.  Never been to Santa's Village.  Not a fan of tourist attractions in general but yesterday we visited Big Major Island where people "Swim With The Pigs".   

This is a uniquely Bahamian thing.   It started with unruly pigs that folks were raising on nearby Stanley Cay - a populated island.  In the 90's those pigs just got too much to handle and they were banished to Big Major Cay.   The farmer continued raising them and tended to them every day.   The pigs quickly learned that the boat meant food and as soon as they heard the boat coming, they would swim out to meet it.  

It didn't take long for others to notice, and finding it amusing, they would tag along to see the show.   Eventually, someone (probably the farmer) figured out this was a way to make money.   It started out local, people visiting the Stanley Cay Yacht Club could hire a 'guide' to take them out to see the swimming pigs.  It didn't take long for other local 'guides' to get in on it, ferrying tourists the 50 or so miles from Georgetown (the biggest airport in the Exuma's).  

These days, there are tours from as far away as Nassau, where the tourist rich environment supports a number of companies running speed boats across the bank, each carrying a dozen or more passengers from the cruise ships or the Atlantis resort in Nassau.   Tours are pretty much an all-day affair.   Depart at 7:30 am and return by 4 pm making a loop of over 150 miles.     The typical tour includes a visit to see the iguanas at Allen Cay, snorkeling with tropical fish in the Aquarium at O'Brien Cay with the grand finale at Big Major to see the Pigs.  Swim with the pigs if you are brave enough.    If you sit at anchor at one of these tour stops you will see one tour boat after another making the rounds.

Tour boats at Allen Cay - visiting the Iguanas.  Next stop, Swimming with the Pigs

Anyway, as Liz and I worked our way down the Exuma chain, Big Major came up as "must see" according to several of our friends.   So we planned a mid-day stop to take in the scene, thinking an hour or two, then we would move on.   As we came around the corner of Sandy Cay with Big Major and "Pig Beach" ahead of us, we realized this was no small event.  More than 50 boats were already at anchor along the beach.   Four, five, six boats deep across the length of the half mile long anchorage.  

AIS display of Pig Beach as we approached

Pig Beach anchorage

At first I was reluctant to 'wade' into this morass of humanity, but we figured we could handle a few hours.   We anchored on the outside row, not wanting to mix it up with so many other boats and made lunch, giving us time to observe.  The weather was good.  Sunny, warm and very light breeze.   The water was clear and calm.   We sat back and watched.

Several tour boats came and went.   We could see the pigs running around the beach and into the water.   Numerous inflatables scurried back and forth taking cruisers ashore.   Yachts came and went.   Actually a pretty calm scene considering the number of boats.

After lunch, and getting our nerve up, we launched the tender and we too took our turn ashore, joining two groups that were already there.   As we beached the tender, this 2 or 300 lb. sow came right up to us, looking to Liz for a handout.  Friendly like, not too aggressive, so we stepped ashore.

Miss Piggy

Miss Piggy helping me secure the dingy

We benefited from the tour boats as there were a couple dozen tourists for the pigs to chase, and the tour guides to distract the pigs.   Big pigs, little pigs, hungry pigs, sleeping pigs.   Lots of pigs.

I guess this is what amounts to amusement in the Bahamas.

Sooie Pig