They let us hold the lizards and even a sting ray! You will likely find that those who are advocating for mistreated animals are also some of the biggest advocates for human rights. Swirling around us in the water were manta rays, which we also fed. It is not possible at this time to overnight on Big Major Cay as part of a tour. They are exposed to the sun, rain, and especially the harsh Caribbean storms and hurricanes. Hope youre loving it so far <3 We have lots of guides I hope can be helpful! Swimming with pigs and sharks in Exuma Bahamas This is also the best time to go swimming with the pigs in The Bahamas. Cover image credit: Debbie Ann Powell/Shutterstock.com If youre planning a trip to Jamaica, make sure to add Good Hope Estate to your itinerary for an unforgettable island adventure. Spiders, snakes, hippos, deer, cows, horses, bees and ants are all at leastfive times more likely to kill you than sharks. The preferred option is to feed them in the water when they come swimming up to your boat. And, Thats what I thought when I stumbled upon photos of the swimming pigs on Pig Island and booked my honeymoon trip after my. Skeptical and increasingly concerned for the welfare of the world renowned and beloved swimming pigs in the Bahamas, I dug further. In 1958 The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park was the first national park of its kind to have both a land and sea component. Presumably, these pigs have inspired countless people to, But we dont need to continue to spread a false story of happiness at the expense of these pigsespecially when there are pigs like. The first thing that comes to my mind while reading that you want people to stop visiting these piggies, is how will they eat if visitors stopped going to feed them? Unforgettable experience in diving and swimming with marine animals, Manta rays, Sharks, trips and seeing dolphins, turt 2022 5. If done correctly, youll minimise the risk to yourself, your buddies and the environment and get the chance to observe these beautiful creatures respectfully and at relatively close quarters. This clearly wasnt a big, lush island that pigs inhabited. Please help spread the word to let people know that Pig Island is no paradise for the pigs, but rather a tourist attraction not a whole lot different from Sea World or the Zoo. Other beautiful, endangered animals like the Flamingo, the Bahama parrot and Rock iguanas are also fully protected and areas of their natural habitat have been set aside and declared as sanctuaries for them. The Exumas Island Guide | Explore the Islands, Swim with Pigs, and More Some visitors seemed scared of them but they're like hoofed puppies. If you rent a boat, consider hiring a tour guide who can help you navigate this experience. At least these swimming pigs arent locked up on a factory farm! And thats a fair point. swimming with pigs in the Maldives!! Dive with someone that has experience too. And no, we dont serve them at the restaurant herea lot of people ask that!. Not only will you be able to book your tour easily from your resort, but you can also enjoy high-quality inclusions in a luxurious atmosphere. Around $50 USD or BSD should suffice, preferably in smaller bills. The pigs on Big Major Cay are a large part of the attraction, but this is also quite a beautiful island with pristine white sand beaches and a small forest. Packing for your swimming pigs adventure What you need to know ahead of a trip to Big Major Cay is that yes, the piggiess can actually swim. This means that it makes sense to sign up for an early tour to Big Major Cay, but it is also a good idea to go early if youll be taking your own boat. But most of the islands with pigs are not habitable; they are so small and rocky and dense there are no houses or humans living on them. Go Divers Maldives 47 Scuba & Snorkelling Shark Diving By DLJ2 We did 9 dives, saw some great sites, lots of sharks, eels, turtles and huge schools of bluestripe snapper at the ama. Our excursion was just an hour and a half but that was the Perfect amount of time. Granted, interactions wasnt the original plan however, because it the environment in which they reside, guests wanted to meet them. And the things I saw tourists do for the sake of a selfie photo were. Keep those pigs fed any way possible until you can take action. Pigs can get skin cancer and other illnesses and likely suffer for a long time without treatment.. Please read my, World of Vegan All Rights Reserved. These playful creatures often swim in groups so once you find a friendly bunch, slide into the water and have a quick swim. Added to that, the pigs swim up to your boat once you arrive on the island. Visitors are permitted to snorkel on the surface of the lake only and dont worry about painful stings, these jellyfish are harmless. If you have a waterproof camera, this might be a good opportunity to put it to use. Discover maldives swimming with pigs 's popular videos | TikTok I enjoyed feeding the pigs. No one is quite sure how they got to. You said that seems to be their Then I started to worry that all of these pigs were suffering from severe burns from being exposed to the strong Caribbean sunshine day after day. This will likely startle the animal and may provoke a defensive reaction. Also cuddling up to the wee piglets omg I wanted to take one home.. they were absolutely adorable with there baby squealing. Interact with them, pet them, and enjoy the experience of swimming with pigs living their best lives. Interesting how humans can make a long post about pigs and other animals sufferings but ignore the suffering of children, elderly, homeless, sick, abused, poor etc. Called golden cnidarians, there was once thought to be eight million in the lake but their numbers have sadly declined over the years. Well time to see the bigger picture. I dont know that I would recommend this for small kidsthey seemed scared a bit as some of the pigs are large and want this Apple treats. They took us to pig island and to iguana beach. maldives swimming with pigs There are various ways to do so including by plane and by boat. This article about the swimming pigs in the Exumas was written and photographed by yours truly, Michelle Cehn. The staff from Exuma Sports love their job checking on these pigs and bringing people to meet and feed them. Your boat approaches an ivory-white beach, and 20-something adorable pigs and piglets hastily make their way to you for a playful encounter in the shallow waters. Do your research and learn shark behaviour. The changing climate may also be to blame (it was discovered that their fresh water source had dried up). during the summer because their pale skin is sensitive and can easily burn. As you would expect with creatures so wildly adorable, the famous swimming pigs of The Bahamas have gained much internet fame over the years. Whatever you decide to do, this vacation will be one you won't soon forget! Finally, for every 1 human killed by a shark approximately 25 millionsharks are killed by humans. Many diving experts recommend staying close the reef wall or seabed to avoid leaving yourself exposed. TikTok video from Lauren Ashley Beck (@laurenashleybeck): "Swimming Pigs in the #Bahamas #RoseIsland #Exuma #Traveltiktok #swimmingpigsbahamas". Instead of googling Where can you swim with pigs? and booking a flight, plan a trip to an animal sanctuary like. Island Book Hotel Home / Islands / The Exumas The Island To find out how you can make this dream a reality, see below the best places to swim with incredible marine life (and some land mammals too). Let's plan you dream trip there - Enquire Now! Spending time on the island was enjoyable too because there were alot of baby pigs to hold. Though this destination is a little far from Pig Island, it is still a great destination for your Bahamian vacation. Of course, it is worth noting that Pig Island has brought incredible positive press for pigs, showing that they are smart, curious, playful, lovable animals not unlike the dogs and cats we adore at home. Expert tip: If you're staying at all-inclusive resorts in Nassau like Sandals Royal Bahamian, you can book your swimming pigs tour through the resort. Helping to create a sustainable food supply could have been their objective. Whether you love it or hate it, we all have to go grocery shopping, and it can be a little intimidating when you first start eating vegan. Pig Beach (Great Exuma) - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go - Tripadvisor The pigs are quite large, and it is possible that they might try to chase you if you're carrying food. just to see the pigs. Local guides, Caribbean boat tour companies, and nearby resorts are all profiting from travelers who would give anythingand pay anythingto swim and snap a selfie with the Bahamian pigs. All Inclusive Intimate Pig Beach Excursion to Exuma Swimming Pigs has 7 Stops, Exuma Island Hopping and Swimming Pigs Tour with Lunch, Swiming Pigs and Shark Tour Nassau to Exuma by Plane and Boat, Full Day Private in Nassau and Rose Island or Exuma Charters, Exumas 8-days, 7 nights Luxury Yacht Charter with Gourmet Catering, Bahamas George Town Exuma Airport(GGT) to island hotels-Arrival Private Transfer, Private Transfer from Bahamas George Town Exuma Airport (GGT) to Island Hotels, Owen Roberts Airport (GCM) to George Town 7-Mile Beach- Arrival Private Transfer, Owen Roberts Airport (GCM) to 7-Mile Beach area - Round - Trip Private Transfer, Private Bahamas George Town Exuma Airport transfer to Island Hotels, Owen Roberts Airport to George Town Cruise Port - Round-Trip Private Transfer, Island hotels to Bahamas George Town Exuma Airport (GGT) - Departure Transfer. If you want to visit more Bahamian animals during your trip, you can also stop by West Bay Adventures to snorkle with sea turtles. Water shoes - These will come in handy when walking around the island and particularly if you choose to get into the water to see the pigs up close. I would rather be heart broken than watch pig get sun burn, Im so so sorry. Your concerns were well received up to the point where you gave suggestions that would ultimately divert tourist dollars elsewhere on the pretense that the idea of the attraction was based on exploitation. - Michelle . As they are used to human interaction, the pigs will often swim with visitors - but it doesn't mean people don't need to be careful. And swimming pigs. If they feel like they are under threat by a diver's presence, they will show a sudden behavioural change: dropped pectoral fins, a gaping mouth, an arched back and increased speed are all signs that you should move close to the reef wall and, potentially, abort the dive. You can stay at and book your tour from adults-only resorts in Exuma to save on travel time. These pigs are different, and they LOVE belly rubs. There is currently no oversight or transparency. In the past 13 years, Kylie loved to work with various newspapers, magazines and blogs in the Caribbean. Their supply of fresh water on the island is limited and sometimes even dries up. Big Major Cay is not inhabited by humans. There are hundreds of sanctuaries all around the world where you can visit pigs, rub their bellies, and support liberation rather than exploitation. Weve listed a few of the most important: Towel & change of clothes - Walk with a towel and a change of clothes so you can dry off and change once youre done enjoying the water. TikTok video from Pirate Life (@pirate_life_creative): "Swiming with pigs in the ocean #pigsoftiktok #swimmingpigs #swimmingpigsbahamas". While I was there, there was a group who had traveled all the way from Japan to the Bahamasfor just one day, just to see the pigs. When pigs are food-aggressive and there is a lot of food competition among the pigs, that is a sign that they are probably hungry and not getting enough to eat. Anyone that thinks a bunch of hybrid pigs are living out their lives on a deserted island and not being taking for food is insane. I am currently a care taker for not only the pigs at Sandy Toes, Rose Island, but the animals in general. So even if youre not concerned about the wellbeing of the pigs on this island, consider the tourists who come every year to snap a photo with the famous swimming pigs, completely aware of how to interact with pigs and the risk involved. Fortunately, conversations are already being had on measures that can be put in place to protect the pigs yet still allow visitors on a smaller scale. Blog. You will see Pig Beach Bahamas from a perspective few have. The most common sharks spotted in the Maldives are: The blacktip reef shark is easily spotted everywhere in the Maldives and is identified by the black tips on its fins. heres something about the astounding depths of the ocean covering 70 per cent of the earths surface which has always intrigued humans. 4.7K Likes, 95 Comments. Is this on your bucket list ? Vip Colosseum Under the Moon with Underground and Arena Access, Private transfer from Oaxaca city to Puerto Escondido, Original Berlin Pub Crawl and Nightlife Clubbing tour, 5-Hour Private 40' Yacht Tour to In-Ha Reef with Open Bar, Food & Snorkel, Helicopter over Santiago and the Andes Mountains, Private Tour from Split to Biokovo Skywalk & Makarska. This can cost around $135-$250 USD a seat. From tropical coral reefs to reef sharks and dolphins the area is abundant with wildlife. All the smaller ones were hiding in the shade on the beach. The Swimming Pigs live on Pig Island in Exuma Pig Beach is the famous beach where the Swimming Pigs live, which is on Pig Island (also known as Big Major Cay ). Local Islands. The 176 square mile park is a no-take park where nothing within its boundaries can be removed. Only 3 shark species are responsible for most human bites and fatalities: the great white, the bull shark and the tiger shark, but even with these, most bites are inspired more by curiosity than animosity.