Big Major Cay earned its popular moniker when a colony of feral pigs established permanent residency on the uninhabited island in the 1990s, likely descendants of livestock released by sailors or farmers on nearby Staniel Cay.
The swimming pigs now number roughly twenty, with sows, boars, and piglets wading into the shallows whenever approaching boats signal the prospect of fresh produce and provisioned grain. No commercial infrastructure exists on the three-acre cay itself—the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park protects the surrounding marine zone, and the island remains accessible only by chartered vessel or organized excursion.
Pig Beach day trip from Nassau operations typically depart Nassau harbor between 08:00 and 09:00, crossing the open Atlantic on high-speed powerboats or stable catamarans. The journey covers roughly seventy-five kilometers southeastward through the Exuma chain, a limestone archipelago whose shallow banks shift between sapphire and jade depending on depth and sun angle. Most operators bundle the pig encounter with additional stops at Thunderball Grotto, a submerged cave system featured in two James Bond films, and designated snorkeling reefs where nurse sharks and stingrays patrol the eel grass.
The pigs themselves have adapted to daily human interaction, swimming out to anchored boats with surprising agility and circling visitors in waist-deep water. Marine biologists note the animals' altered foraging behavior—natural rooting and scavenging have given way to conditioned feeding, and caretaker groups now coordinate nutritional oversight to prevent tourists from offering unsuitable or harmful foods. Early-morning arrivals encounter more active animals and fewer competing tour groups, a window that closes by mid-morning when Nassau powerboat tours converge on the beach.
Entry to Big Major Cay carries no admission fee, though all Nassau swimming pigs excursions require a boat charter or guided tour to reach the island. Operators typically provide snorkel gear, island provisions, and onboard meals as part of multi-stop itineraries that span six to eight hours from port to port. The Bahamian government has implemented informal visitation guidelines to protect the pigs' welfare, including prohibitions on touching piglets and restrictions on the types of food that may be offered.
4 hr
