Pig Beach located on Big Major Cay (also known as Major Cay) is a beach on an uninhabited island (or

cay A cay ( ), also spelled caye or key, is a small, low-elevation, sandy island on the surface of a coral reef. Cays occur in tropical environments throughout the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans, including in the Caribbean and on the Grea ...

) located in

Exuma Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and Cay, cays. The largest of the islands is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge ...

, the

Bahamas The Bahamas, officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an archipelagic and island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the Atlantic Ocean. It contains 97 per cent of the archipelago's land area and 88 per cent of its population. ...

. The island takes its unofficial name from the fact that it is populated by a colony of

feral pig A feral pig is a domestic pig The pig (''Sus domesticus''), also called swine (: swine) or hog, is an omnivorous, domesticated, even-toed, hoofed mammal. It is named the domestic pig when distinguishing it from other members of the g ...

s which live on the island. It has become a tourist attraction in modern times. The pigs are known in popular culture as "the swimming pigs" although other islands with swimming pigs exist in the Bahamas.

Geography and features

Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, and consists of over 360 islands. Near Big Major Cay is Staniel Cay. There are three freshwater springs on the island.

History

Anecdotal history

A single, factual account of how the pigs ended up on the cay does not appear to exist. Folklore and various theories claim a number of different scenarios including pirates. Some say the pigs are said to have been dropped off on Big Major Cay by a group of sailors who wanted to come back and cook them. The sailors, though, never returned; the pigs survived on excess food dumped from passing ships. Another legend has it that the pigs were survivors of a shipwreck and managed to swim to shore, while other accounts claim that the pigs had escaped from a nearby islet. Yet others suggest that the pigs were part of a business scheme to attract tourists to the Bahamas while another claims the pigs were stocked on the island in the 1990s by residents of nearby

Staniel Cay Staniel Cay is an island located in The Exuma Cays, a district of The Bahamas. Staniel Cay is located roughly south of Nassau, Bahamas, Nassau and southeast of Florida. The island has a population of less than 118 full-time residents and has an ...

to raise for food.

Modern day

The pigs are now fed by residents from neighboring islands and tourists and the island is unofficially known as Pig Beach by both locals and tourists. In 2017, a number of the resident pigs were found dead, which caused speculation regarding the cause of death including claims of tourists feeding pigs alcohol or the pigs ingesting sand.

Demographics and fauna

Big Major Cay is an island uninhabited by humans. The pig population was estimated between fifty and sixty pigs as of 2019. A few stray cats and goats can be found on the island as well.

Travel and tourism

From Nassau to Pig Beach is 89 miles (143 km) and takes 2 hours by speed boat. A number of tour operators offer both private and group trips from

Great Exuma Exuma is a district of The Bahamas, consisting of over 365 islands and cays. The largest of the islands is Great Exuma, which is 37 mi (60 km) in length and joined to another island, Little Exuma, by a small bridge. The capital and largest to ...

, and other nearby cays.

Popular culture

Pig beach has become a popular topic on social media sites like Instagram and featured in the television series, ''The Bachelor''. Some people claim to have been bitten by a pig while visiting. They have been written about in a book and claim to be featured in a documentary.

References

{{Coord, 24, 11, 01, N, 76, 27, 23, W, display=title Beaches of the Caribbean Landforms of the Bahamas Water in the Bahamas Tourist attractions in the Bahamas Pigs Exuma