Most tours just spend a few hours on the island and then return to the mainland. The entire reason I chose this honeymoon destination to swim with the pigs was because I wanted to see pigs who had never been exploitedand who got to live out their entire lives in total freedom. If you want to visit more Bahamian animals during your trip, you can also stop by West Bay Adventures to snorkle with sea turtles. Skeptical and increasingly concerned for the welfare of the world renowned and beloved swimming pigs in the Bahamas, I dug further. Helping to create a sustainable food supply could have been their objective. 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. | What would you like to see on pig island ? How to get there: You can get from Nassau to Long Island via boat or plane. The capital of this island is St. John, where most of the residents live. 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. Like other swimming with the pigs experiences in The Bahamas, the one in Ship Channel Cay will allow you to get some really cool (and highly Instagramable) vacation photos! She swiped the edge of her hand against her throat as if her words werent clear enough. The average daily swim distance is around 5km (split over a minimum of two swims). But when my husband and I anchored our boat at pig beach, my excitement quickly faded as I had a sinking feeling that something wasnt right. TikTok | Bahamas | Vs | son original - Marco Enzo. Consider a trip to NYC, San Francisco, Sacramento, Seattle, London, Chile, or Paris, which all have vibrant vegan scenes! 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. Of those 65 attacks per year, less than fiveare actually fatal. Rose Island can be visited as part of a day trip, and there are swimming pigs on this island that are fun to be around as well. 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. Reading through your comments I noticed so many bringing up human rights and child suffering , although these topics are extremely serious and important, THIS TOPIC is ABOUT PIGS! On Pig Island, youll generally be allowed to pet the pigs but, as with most tours that include animals, youll need to use your discretion too. By clicking Sign up you confirm that your data has been entered correctly and you have read and agree to our Terms of use, Cookie policy and Privacy notice. The reason why we are afraid and scared of sharks is because t. If you're a diver coming to the Maldives in search of sharks, trust us, you will not be disappointed. who is a real-life example of a truly happy, healthy, beloved pig. Island Routes offers a Swimming Pigs adventure, which is worth checking out. From what I saw during my week in the Exumas, all of the pigs were out in the open on the little sandy beach, because thats where their food source was. Please read my, World of Vegan All Rights Reserved. Visit Pig Beach from Staniel Cay (a small island near Big Mayor Cay, the island on which the pigs live) - 10 minutes away by boat Visit Pig Beach from Great Exuma - 2 hours away by boat Visit Pig Beach from Nassau - a 35-min flight to Staniel Cay, or 3-hr speedboat ride Kayaking activity The activity here is the kayaking, you can rent it from the bar on the beach, 300 Baht per kayak. As enormous non-native animals that are an unusual mix between feral and domestic, they run right up to people, but are often aggressive and pose a serious danger to visitors. Several swimming pigs have been spotted in Dove Cay, Long Island in recent times. We also fed the sting rays -and that was really awesome. There are so many wonderful places to travel and summer vacation activities to participate in without exploiting animals. Do you need to book in advance to visit Pig Beach? Beware of the hype - overall an underwhelming experience. 10, maybe 15 piglets. The Bahamas is an incredible destination with so much to offer. This account already exists. She said: Pig bites can be pretty serious. As I stepped off our little motor boat I was immediately greeted by a stampede of hungry adult pig snouts desperate for food. Would recommend this excursion for all. The latter option (taking your own boat) may soon be prohibited due to changing regulations from the Ministry of Agriculture and Marine Resources in The Bahamas, so it's a good idea to verify before you go. One can visit and experience swimming with wild pigs in Bahamas any time of the year. World of Vegan founder Michelle Taylor Cehn and her husband booked a honeymoon trip to the Bahamas to swim with pigs on Pig Island. Fuvahmulah is the best spot for finding Tiger Sharks. Even I was bitten when one of the pigs lunged to grab something out of my hand and accidentally caught my finger at the same time in her powerful jaws. Most excursions and tours booked through the resort include pick up and drop off back to the resort. 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. All the smaller ones were hiding in the shade on the beach. Have a read of shark dives best practices and by following this, you will ensure a positive experience and more importantly a responsible and sustainable interaction with sharks. I really wanted to just rescue one but my hubby had to talk some sense in me, they will grow up to be a giant hog. Taz was our tour guide and he was supper funny and helpful. There are only a few places in the world where you can swim with humpback whales in the wild and Tonga is one of them. A boat ride is the only way to get to Pig Beach in The Bahamas. The tour usually starts out with a sting Ray feeding then shark show then the pigs are let out of a pen last and when they do come out they are covered in mud your article seems very far from the tour that I recently took with my friends. This was so fun. This number is based on the percentage of all Tripadvisor reviews for this product that have a bubble rating of 4 or higher. I promise you will reconsider this comment. But its their sea turtles that make this area a diving hotspot. What types of sharks are there in the Maldives? Island Book Hotel Home / Islands / The Exumas The Island You can visit Ship Channel Cay via powerboat tour while in The Bahamas. You can stay at and book your tour from adults-only resorts in Exuma to save on travel time. Astronauts have been quoted over history for saying the Bahamas' Exuma Cays are the most beautiful view on Earth when viewed from space. Keep those pigs fed any way possible until you can take action. Unforgettable experience in diving and swimming with marine animals, Manta rays, Sharks, trips and seeing dolphins, turt 2022 5. Do not feed the pigs on the sand - It is not recommended that you feed the pigs on the sand. TikTok video from katie sigmond (@katie_sigmond): "swimming with wild pigs". I have booked for may 13th but with this Corona can I change the dates when we all know more? You can also do combination tours of Big Major Cay and Compass Cay (swimming with nurse sharks) or Big Major Cay and the Pablo Escobar sunken drug plane tour. IB: @*. ?". Home. Where are all the other pigs? I asked one tour guide who was boasting about how she named all the piglets, and comes every day to feed them pancakes or veggies. Big Major Cay is not inhabited by humans. There are about 20 pigs on this island and piglets as well. 51 Likes, TikTok video from Jasminedustin CONTENT CREATOR (@jasminedustin): "Swimming pigs #AlaskaAirCAREoke #swimmingpigs #bahamas #exuma #water #paradise #maldives #pigs #stingray". I had not thought about it ahead of time but you do need to dodge some pig poo in the water. In reality, leaving aside baited shark dives, theyre reserved and cautious when near divers. As a friend and fellow animal rights activist said of Michelle, If she can be duped about how animals are treated, anyone can. Read it here. If you book with Tripadvisor, you can cancel up to 24 hours before your tour starts for a full refund. Spiders, snakes, hippos, deer, cows, horses, bees and ants are all at leastfive times more likely to kill you than sharks. As someone who has long admired these smart, sensitive animals, Michelle was excited to see happy pigs living freely on a beautiful island paradise. Without killing the pigs (or giving the piglets away to locals for food), there would be no way to maintain the small population of pigs on the various islands. Thank you for shattering my dreams. Expert tip: There's lots more things to do in Exuma besides swimming with pigs. We were on a cruise and chose this as an excursion. TikTok video from KACI (@.tbwkaci): " swimming with pigs in the Maldives!! Please send me any and all writings on the aforementioned, thanks you. Hi! honeypie - flora . So, how safe is it to dive with sharks? Anybody who has dived with sharks in the Maldives will confirm that it is a pleasure and a treat. If you're looking to become a certified PADI Open Water diver, check out out 6-night Diving Course Trip! My goodness, I thought. It does seem like feeding them from a boat while they are in the water is okay (things like carrots and apples). Be thoughtful and responsible with all of your actions. more. They explored my hands, my shoes, my cameraeverythingwith their little snouts covered in sand. Or you could book a getaway to an all vegan resort like The Stanford Inn By The Seain Northern California. The staff from Exuma Sports love their job checking on these pigs and bringing people to meet and feed them. I love playing in the kitchen with music on, sipping a cocktail while I cook, making a big joyful mess, and cleaning it up with all-natural cleaning spray and a compostable sponge. If you do the tour with Exuma Watersports, it depends on the specific tour you decide on. Thank you for this information I will not be visiting or endorsing this kind of thing unfortunately theres a lot about animals that are inhuman we all need to know more about. If you have never seen a pig its a cool experience. The biggest and largest fish in the sea, the Whale Shark, is a stunning, harmless fish providing incredible and common encounters with humans in the Maldives, especially in South Ari Atoll. We can also put pressure on the government, tour companies, and local resorts to do better. Sharks generally move slowly and steadily. Isla de la Plata in Ecuador is known as the other Galapagos due to the array of wildlife living beneath its waters. Get involved in exciting, inspiring conversations with other readers. ), and Green Cay where you can snorkel with gorgeous green turtles in the wild. It is not recommended that you handle the piglets. Watch popular content from the following creators: Jasminedustin(@jasminedustin), Sarah(@sarahrp), Ruby(@rubystraveldiary), Sara Overseas(@saraoverseas), KACI (@.tbwkaci), ash(@omgasho), TRAVEL | Bernice Padilla(@trendytraveler), amanda maguire(@fullstomachemptywallet), isabel_langdale(@isabel_langdale), MandiP . Around $50 USD or BSD should suffice, preferably in smaller bills. Despite this, most of the tourists I talked with were not aware of any safety precautions they should take when interacting with the pigs. 10, maybe 15 piglets. Finally, for every 1 human killed by a shark approximately 25 millionsharks are killed by humans. Antigua is known for many thi. There are no hotels on the island, and tourists need to book a tour to visit the island. There were maybe 20 or 25 pigs total, and most were babies, adolescents, or young mothers. With confidence, she said: Oh, they have to kill the pigs or there would be too manyespecially when they get aggressive. We really need to act now to stop this problem from growing (and spreading to more islands), and alsourgethe government and tour companies to at the very least neuter the male pigs, provide sturdy shelter to protect them from the storms, and assign someone to look out for their care and wellbeing (food, water, sun protection, veterinary care, etc). Stay in one of the resort's romantic Love Nest Suites for an utterly romantic honeymoon experience. Sunny Day - Ted Fresco. Diving with sharks is a unique, humbling and incredible experience. They were so tinyand dirty! Boats and tours in The Bahamas typically operate between the hours of 8 AM/9 AM local time (morning), and 5 PM (sunset). There was quite a bit of poo on the beach which must be get cleaned up regularly otherwise the beach would be covered. The entire reason I chose this honeymoon destination to swim with the pigs was because I wanted to see, I realized that this is an animal tourist attraction not a whole lot different from the orcas imprisoned at, Despite this, most of the tourists I talked with were not aware of any safety precautions they should take when interacting with the pigs. These sanctuaries are The Bahamas National Parks. No other tourists at the time were there. The swimming pigs on this beautiful island are not as famous as their cousins on Big Major Cay, but its fun to take a day trip from Treasure Cay to No Name Cay to see them. Go by plane from Great Exuma - It is possible to fly to a nearer point in Exuma to facilitate your swimming pigs tour. You can get to Pig Island from Exuma fairly easily. Added to that, the pigs swim up to your boat once you arrive on the island. Maldives Scuba Diver. Hey Wendy Id love to hear about some of the things youre doing for humans and children to inspire us all to do the same! Thats where you come in. The 176 square mile park is a no-take park where nothing within its boundaries can be removed. If you want to catch a boat to Big Major Cay from Great Exuma or Nassau, youll either need to book a tour, charter your own boat or catch a ride with a friend who owns one. Big Major Cay, an uninhabited island in the Bahamas, is home to dozens of feral pigs. Various tour companies will have different prices for this excursion. The island is now more lovingly referred to as Pig Island. No, it is not a must that you get wet to interact with the swimming pigs in The Bahamas. Where and how to visit the original swimming pigs, The best time to go swimming with the pigs, Tips for interactiong with the swimming pigs, FAQs about swimming with the pigs in The Bahamas, Eleuthera Swimming Pigs and Snorkeling Experience, best places to go snorkeling in The Bahamas, Escape To Paradise: Experience Adventure And Relaxation At Good Hope Estate, Grenada Beaches: The 9 Best Beaches on the Island to Soak in the Sun. TikTok video from MandiP (@mandiep64): "THE SWIMMING PIGS ADVENTURES #bucketlist #swimmingpigs #adventuretime #fyp #follow". +1 786-289-8977 First off pig beach is also home to a few different breeds of sharks so the pigs are not just roaming the beach they are taken care by someone that lives on the island they are fed regularly. Blog. Swim with the pigs in this tropical paradise Insider 7.9M subscribers Subscribe 17K views 6 years ago Pig Island is located in the Bahamas' Exuma Cays. The harmless hammer head can be spotted in different areas around the Maldives, but a hotspot is the Hammerhead Point at Rasdhoo, where you can find large schools of hammerheads. It would quickly turn into hell island. This includes tours to see the rock iguanas at Bitter Guana Cay, visits to Thunderball Grotto (made famous by James Bond), and to the Exuma Sand Bars at Pipe Cay. Local Islands. At least these swimming pigs arent locked up on a factory farm! And thats a fair point. I love pigs and had no idea these islands with pigs were a thing. But is that an excuse to lower our standards of care and compassion for the species? Swimming with pigs can be just the motivation you needed to plan some island-hopping in The Bahamas. For safety reasons, the Swimming with the Pigs excursion is not recommended for women who are pregnant, individuals who are physically challenged, people with back problems or who have had recent back surgery, anyone who is physically handicapped, and people who get seasick easily. You will see many sharks, but they won't be interested in you and for the most part, are completely harmless. Stroll along the beach Ship Channel Cay is quite small at around two miles long and half a mile wide.