Nickname: Pig Beach | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | the Americas |
Archipelago | Exuma Cays |
Total islands | 1 |
Major islands | 1 |
Administration | |
Capital city | Nassau |
Largest settlement | Nassau (pop. 248,948; as of 2010 [update]) |
Prime Minister | Hubert Minnis |
Pig Beach [1] located on Big Major Cay [2] (also known as Major Cay [3]) is a beach on an uninhabited island (or cay) located in Exuma, the Bahamas. The island takes its unofficial name from the fact that it is populated by a colony of feral pigs 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" [4] although other islands with swimming pigs exist in the Bahamas. [5]
Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, and consists of over 360 islands. [6] Near Big Major Cay is Staniel Cay. [7] There are three freshwater springs on the island. [7]
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. [8]
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.[ citation needed]
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. [9] Yet others suggest that the pigs were part of a business scheme to attract tourists to the Bahamas[ citation needed] while another claims the pigs were stocked on the island in the 1990s by residents of nearby Staniel Cay to raise for food. [5]
The pigs are now fed by residents from neighboring islands and tourists [10][ self-published source] and the island is unofficially known as Pig Beach by both locals and tourists. [11]
In 2017, a number of the resident pigs were found dead, [12] which caused speculation regarding the cause of death including claims of tourists feeding pigs alcohol or the pigs ingesting sand. [13] [14] [4]
Big Major Cay is an island uninhabited by humans. [15] The pig population was estimated between fifty and sixty pigs as of 2019. [5] A few stray cats [16] and goats [17] can be found on the island as well.
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, Staniel Cay, and other nearby cays.
Pig beach has become a popular topic on social media sites like Instagram and featured in the television series, The Bachelor. [18] Some people claim to have been bitten by a pig while visiting. [19] They have been written about in a book and claim to be featured in a documentary. [20]
Nickname: Pig Beach | |
---|---|
Geography | |
Location | the Americas |
Archipelago | Exuma Cays |
Total islands | 1 |
Major islands | 1 |
Administration | |
Capital city | Nassau |
Largest settlement | Nassau (pop. 248,948; as of 2010 [update]) |
Prime Minister | Hubert Minnis |
Pig Beach [1] located on Big Major Cay [2] (also known as Major Cay [3]) is a beach on an uninhabited island (or cay) located in Exuma, the Bahamas. The island takes its unofficial name from the fact that it is populated by a colony of feral pigs 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" [4] although other islands with swimming pigs exist in the Bahamas. [5]
Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, and consists of over 360 islands. [6] Near Big Major Cay is Staniel Cay. [7] There are three freshwater springs on the island. [7]
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. [8]
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.[ citation needed]
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. [9] Yet others suggest that the pigs were part of a business scheme to attract tourists to the Bahamas[ citation needed] while another claims the pigs were stocked on the island in the 1990s by residents of nearby Staniel Cay to raise for food. [5]
The pigs are now fed by residents from neighboring islands and tourists [10][ self-published source] and the island is unofficially known as Pig Beach by both locals and tourists. [11]
In 2017, a number of the resident pigs were found dead, [12] which caused speculation regarding the cause of death including claims of tourists feeding pigs alcohol or the pigs ingesting sand. [13] [14] [4]
Big Major Cay is an island uninhabited by humans. [15] The pig population was estimated between fifty and sixty pigs as of 2019. [5] A few stray cats [16] and goats [17] can be found on the island as well.
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, Staniel Cay, and other nearby cays.
Pig beach has become a popular topic on social media sites like Instagram and featured in the television series, The Bachelor. [18] Some people claim to have been bitten by a pig while visiting. [19] They have been written about in a book and claim to be featured in a documentary. [20]