Have you ever swam in an ocean before, surrounded by colorful fish? Or been to a farm and watched the cute pigs from afar? What if I told you that you could swim in an ocean with fish AND pigs. Or boat to an island and sit amongst wild iguanas. When you visit Exuma in the Bahamas, you can experience all these phenomenal animal adventures and so much more.
I first heard about the swimming pigs when my friend returned from her trip to the Bahamas. She had posted photos of these cute little piggies, and I was entranced.
Little did I know that there would be so much more to see, animal wise, in the Bahamas than these cute smelly pigs (okay, in the water, they aren’t nearly as stinky)!
Exuma has options for kids of all ages to experience animals in their natural settings. Even if your child doesn’t want to get in the water, you can view turtles from the beach, watch sharks swim from the dock above, or view iguanas and pigs from the comfort of a boat. But, if you have little animal kingdom fans who want to get up close and personal with a sea creature in the Bahamas, then Exuma is the place to be.
Exuma is relatively easy to get to, especially if you are traveling from the US. It’s just a quick 2-hour flight from the US Southeast coast. And the weather is near-perfect most of the year, so picking a time to visit should not be hard to do.
Here are the animal adventures you will most likely encounter during your trip to Exuma:
Swimming with Pigs
That’s right – the pigs in Exuma can swim. Well, the ones on Pig Beach can, at least. Whether it’s folklore or truth, the story goes that a pirate ship shipwrecked and left the abandoned pigs to swim to the beach. Today, there are upwards of 50+ pigs roaming the beaches on Big Major Cay. The only way to reach this uninhabited island is via boat, and there are a variety of tour companies who will gladly take you. And while most tour companies operate from Exuma, you can still visit the pigs if you stay on a nearby island (such as Nassau). Most of these tours, however, involve a short flight and can be quite pricey.
We took an all-day trip from Great Exuma to get to the cay where these piggies reside. Upon entering the cay, the boat will slow to a crawl, and out of nowhere, an adorable pig will swim right up and greet you. Be ready with your camera and your bathing suit on (if you want to jump into the water) because swimming with pigs in the water may only last a few moments. As soon as the pig hears another boat approaching (or smells the food tempting them), they will be off to greet the new visitors.
Not everyone will want to swim with the pigs, but if this is a bucket-list item for you, I recommend jumping in the water as soon as you see the pig swimming towards you (assuming it’s safe and assuming you want to). This is the only chance you will have to “swim” with the pigs.
Your boat will dock on the beach, and while pigs will surround you on the beach, they will be wading in the water versus swimming this close to the beach.
Now there is tons of talk about the dirty water that surrounds the pigs. And really, what would you expect. Animals use the bathroom just like we do; we just happen to be swimming in their open bathroom. What do you expect when you are in an ocean? But if you can’t get your mind off this image, then remain in the boat and observe from afar.
Swimming with the pigs was one of my favorite activities in Exuma. Yes, there will be crowds. And yes, it may feel like a tourist trap. But seeing that first piggy swim out to our boat, its snout turned up in hopes of receiving some delicious food, made everything worthwhile. I mean, it’s not every day that you see pigs swim!
Feeding the Stingrays
There are many places around the world where you can swim with stingrays. But Exuma was the only place we have experienced where you can feed them. Did you know that stingrays love conch? Well, the ones in Exuma do, that’s for sure. Stingrays’ mouths are on their undersides, so when they swim along the ocean floor, they tend to gobble up all sorts of yummy surprises such as shrimp and clams, and yes, even leftover guts of other animals.
To participate in feeding the stingrays, you will need to make your way to Chat ‘N’ Chill on Stocking Island. Boats run every hour, and it costs $15 for a roundtrip ticket. That is technically the only price you need to pay to feed these incredible animals. Once you arrive on Stocking Island, make your way to Chat ‘N’ Chill and head to the far left side of the beach. There you will see a little conch stand, and to the right of it, next to the water, is where the conch guts await. Stingrays love the rubbery conch guts! You patiently wait while the conch stand workers discard the leftovers, pick some up and head into the water to feed them.
We were all a bit hesitant to be in the water with stingrays floating around us. Here in San Diego, we have grown up knowing you must shuffle your feet in the sand to avoid stepping on the stingrays. But in Exuma, they would swim in circles around us looking for food. Most everyone in the water was calm and slowly walked around in the water.
There were even some kids that snorkeled among them.
For us, we took our conch guts and waded into the water in hopes of having a friendly stingray slurp up their delicious lunch. And indeed, slurp it up is what they do. You hold the conch guts in your hand (it sounds more disgusting than it really is), cup your hand slightly, and keep it under the water upright. The stingray will float above your hand and eat that delicious meal. Make sure not to pull your hand away too quickly as you want to make sure they get every last bit.
I was in awe of this experience and could have stood in that water for hours. But I figured it best to let other people get this experience, plus I didn’t want to overfeed these spectacular sea creatures.
Visit Iguana Island
Bitter Guana Cay, otherwise known as Iguana Island, lies just a few kilometers from Great Exuma. We visited Iguana Island as part of our full-day boat tour with Aquaquest Escapes. When you reach the island, you will exit the boat and make your way to the beach. Emerging from all parts of the beach, the iguanas will start waddling up to you. Before you know it, the iguanas have encircled you. While they never approached our personal space, they did come close enough to see their beautiful colors.
Iguanas may look a silvery color from far away, but up close, they have a beautiful iridescent shine to them of rose, greens, and beige colors. They indeed are remarkable animals.
The entire visit to Iguana island lasted no longer than 15 minutes. But make sure to include this whether you take a half or full-day boat excursion around Exuma.
Spot the Turtles
We had heard one of the best places to see turtles on Exuma was at Hooper’s Bay between the two piers. Hooper’s Bay isn’t the most obviously marked beach.
You have to find the little blue sign and walkway that leads to the beach. Once on the beach, head to the right for a bit until you see the piers.
Between the first and second pier is where we spotted the turtles.
It was a bit cloudy and started to rain the day we were there, but the little darlings appeared after some searching. We had heard you could bring some lettuce to entice the turtles, but we decided against that.
I’m assuming we would have seen more turtles if we had food in hand; regardless, we witnessed some playing amongst the waves. And just like in Finding Nemo, one of them even attempted to surf the waves.
Swim with Sharks
Now, this particular activity we didn’t do, but most everyone else on our tour did. We have swum a few times now with sharks in open water, and as it was raining extensively at this point, we decided to sit it out.
However, if your kids have never swum with sharks before, then this is a great way to introduce them.
Again, this was part of our full-day excursion and was one of our last stops. You dock at a pier and pay $10 per person for the experience. Though swimming with the sharks is usually a stop on the full-day excursion tour, Compass Cay, where the sharks reside, requires this additional entrance fee. Once you enter the water, nurse sharks will surround you. It’s a wonderfully controlled environment, so I expect it to be a pleasant opportunity if this is your first time.
Interacting with these amazing sea animals can be such a fun experience for kids of all ages. Yet, it can also be a great learning experience as to what surrounds us in the ocean.
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Though despite all the fun we had, interacting with animals in the “wild” is mentally overloading for me. While the experiences can be quite phenomenal, it’s hard to accept the realization that these animals are docile because so many tourists interact with them daily. They get used to the food being throw their way and continue to come back for more. While our guides offered us crackers to feed the pigs and iguanas, it’s your choice whether you want to give it to them or not. Our guides seemed to distribute only a limited amount, versus other tour groups seemed to have an endless supply of bread or crackers. But even a small amount of “people” food is probably too much.
It’s hard to find that balance as to what to do and still do what’s right. Many times after these animal encounters, we have walked away feeling awful that we participated, even though the up close and personal experiences were one-of-a-kind. You know your family best, and you know your comfort level. If you can be mindful of the animals once in the water and let the animals come to you versus attempting to pet them or pick them up, you can probably make this a worthwhile experience. Trust your instinct on whether the encounter is something you feel you need to do. And whether you interact or not, observing these natives in their natural habitat will be a rewarding experience for you and the kids.
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