The Complete 2026 Guide to Swimming Pigs at Big Major Cay

Big Major Cay — better known as Pig Beach — is the uninhabited sandbar in the northern Exumas where a colony of feral pigs swims out to greet passing boats. It's one of the most photographed stops in the Bahamas, and one of the easiest to get wrong if you arrive at the wrong hour.

Best Time To Visit

Day-trip catamarans out of Nassau typically arrive between 11am and 2pm, so the beach is calmest before 9:30am or after 3pm. Staying nearby means you can be on the sand at sunrise, before a single tour boat has left the dock.

Etiquette That Actually Matters

Feed only what your captain provides — never anything from a bag or your hand at water level, and never offer the pigs anything containing alcohol or sugar. Keep loose items zipped; an eager pig will happily inspect an open cooler.

Pair It With

Most private captains combine Pig Beach with Thunderball Grotto and the nurse sharks at Compass Cay in a single half-day loop. Book a local captain directly rather than a large group tour boat — smaller boats can time the tide-dependent cuts more precisely and won't be sharing the sandbar with fifty other guests.