Volume 1 Article 4
Power Boating to the Exumas: Swimming With the Pigs
Monday February 13, 2023
travel
Without a doubt, I am a beach person! I love the feeling of sand between my toes, the smell of salt in the air, and the sound of the waves as they crash on to the beach. So convincing me of taking a trip to the beach is not hard. Another thing that is not hard is convincing me of crossing items off my bucket list. Making this Bahamas trip a win-win as I got to be at the beach while crossing swimming with the pigs off my bucket list.
Ending up in the Bahamas was a totally unexpected trip. It just so happened that Southwest was running a promotion on plane tickets and the next thing I knew I was on a plane to the Bahamas. For those of you who do not know, the Bahamas is a nation that is made up multiple islands. When I say multiple, I really mean hundreds of islands. Each of these islands are a part of a district, where I stayed in Nassau, the nation’s capital, which is a part of the district of New Providence.
Getting to The Pigs
As for the pigs, they reside in the district of Exuma. Which no need to fear if you do not stay in the same district as the pigs. They are many ways to reach the Exumas whether you stay in New Providence or another district. Even those who are not in the Bahamas, can fly out of Florida. What I did was sign up for an all day power boating excursion to the Exumas. This excursion allowed for me to see more than the pigs as there are so many activities and adventures in the Exumas.
For those of you who worry about sea sickness, I do get sea sick if the waters are rough. Going into this excursion, I was worried about whether the water was rough and what the conditions were for the day. When arriving on the boat, the guides said that the water was rougher than normal which concerned me. But after 15 minutes into the ride, I notice that even on rougher days that the water was not going to be a concern. In preparation, I did take Dramamine but I think not taking it would have been fine, too.
If you still feel worried about sea sickness, there is another option which is to fly to the Exumas. Flying cuts out the amount of time you are on a boat. Which on my excursion, it took an hour and 15 minutes to reach our first stop. By flying you would be cutting this part along with the boat ride back after your last stop. Although, this is a popular option in general, I would recommend the power boat if you do not get severely sea sick and are on a budget. Also, the view from the boat is amazing!
Stop 1: Allen’s Cay & The Bahamian Rock Iguanas
Although you go on this excursion to go swimming with the pigs, there are other stops to make the trip worth your money. On our excursion, the first stop was the Bahamian Rock Iguanas at Allen’s Cay. While here, you are allowed to get off the boats to feed the iguanas lettuce. And let me warn you, the iguanas do not mess around with their lettuce. Especially the little ones. My best advice would be to go for the bigger ones because they approach you slower and are gentler. Also, hold the lettuce at the end so it gives you more space between your fingers and their mouth. If they bite you, you can not bite them back. And if you forget your guides will remind you before getting off the boat.
Stop 2: Norman’s Cay & Pablo Escobar’s Sunken Plane
After the iguanas, we boated past the sunken plane of Pablo Escobar. Pablo was a Colombian drug lord who smuggled drugs to other South American countries along with the United States. He was big in the 1980s and 1990s and acquired the island by slowly buying out the locals. Buying the island was strategic in that is was close to Florida and allowed for there to be a stopping point between Colombia and the US. The plane had taken off from the airstrip but did not make it far before crashing into the ocean. Since the 1980s the plane has been in the shallow waters, located in a perfect spot for tours to see.
This plane was one of two that we saw on the excursion. The other one, unrelated to Pablo, crashed on land instead of the water and can be seen from the shore. For both of these planes we remained on the boat as it was not a part of our excursions to explore. Although our excursion did not include exploration, there are some that allow for you to snorkel the sunken plane of Pablo Escobar. If snorkeling is your thing, then I would suggest that you look into an excursion that does include it. Most of the plane is intact except for the cabin that is mostly open which allows for you to see the local wildlife that has taken over it.
Stop 3: Big Major Cay & The Pigs
Now here is what we came for…THE PIGS! Although it called swimming with the pigs, I am not sure how people swim with them. Most of the time the pigs hang out by shore or on it. The only time that the pigs were really swimming was when we first got there and our guides started to throw food in the ocean. Which even though this pigs are wild, they have developed a routine and an understanding that when they see the boats they know it is feeding time. Along with that, the guides and locals who watch after them have also taught the pigs obedience. When you feed the pigs think of them as a dog. You tell them to “sit” and the will sit. Once they have sat down then you give them food.
Here is a little heads up. When first looking into swimming with the pigs all I saw were this beautiful pictures with the pigs in the water or “posing for the camera.” Which getting these photos is totally doable, but I would keep in mind that the pigs are not trained to sit and pose. The pigs are wild animals and only want the food not pictures. They will migrate to those who have food, so if you are trying to get pictures with them, be patient and willing to move with them.
Also, over the years the pigs have gained popularity among travelers to the Bahamas. So with that remember there will be a lot of people and you may have to edit them out of the photos. Lastly, the pigs do not have a designated area to use the restroom, meaning that they go wherever and whenever so watch out.
Stop 4: Compass Cay & The Nurse Sharks
Shark Bait! With fully disclosure I will say that I am not a shark person and never in a millions years did I think I would get this close to a shark. Getting in was a very last minute decision as I noticed I was one of the only ones who did not get in. So, if you are not a shark person I totally understand, but take this as a sign that you should still get in. Once I was in my guide did a great job of informing us about Nurse Sharks who are bottom feeders. As a bottom feeder, these sharks take in their food similar to how a vacuum sucks up dust. Meaning that they were not going to bite.
Getting in surprised me which I think made this one of my favorite parts of the excursion. Being in the water with the sharks helped me over come a fear of the more docile ones. Which let me be clear, I am not longer afraid of Nurse Sharks and do not see myself swimming with Great Whites anytime soon!
If you are considering the Bahamas, hopefully this helped convinced you to go and book that trip. Although I went on this trip and excursion with the soul purpose of swimming with the pigs, I came out on the other side gratefully for all the other experiences. The excursion was so great that it made it hard to pick which spot was my favorite since each spot has it own draw to it. But I would say the sharks surprised me and allowed for me to step out of my comfort zone. Life is too short to miss out on new and exciting opportunities. So book that trip!
Link for the excursion I went on:
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