Turns Out Exuma is not the only place in The Bahamas to find pigs in the water!

End of the Line

June 2022

Article and Photos by Jimmy Jacobs

It came as a bit of a surprise to discover the swimming pigs of Great Abaco Island in The Bahamas. We had heard about such aquatic porcine critters down in Exuma, but not here.

Actually, these pigs aren’t even on Great Abaco, despite being called the Abaco Swimming Pigs. Rather, they inhabit Piggyville on the nearby small isle of No Name Cay. The catalyst for us being in the vicinity was the opportunity to wade the bonefish flats on the western rim of that cay.

From our home base at Treasure Cay on Great Abaco, our fishing guide ran to the south past New Plymouth on Green Turtle Cay. After spending several hours wading the white sand flat on No Name with no success, we climbed back into the skiff for the run back to the resort. In passing the northwest end of the cay, we spied the sign on shore announcing the location of Piggyville.

Naturally this called for a closer inspection and, sure enough, the beach and shallow waters rimming it were infested with pigs, as well as some tourists visiting with the porky residents.

Turns out there are several stories to explaining how the animals got onto an otherwise uninhabited island. The most far-fetched of those attributes their presence to a shipwreck from which their forebearers swam ashore.

Another more likely explanations is that they were released on the island to establish a population for hunting. The most promising scenario, however, is that the critters were transported to the island to replicate the tourist attraction and boost the local economy as their cousins on Exuma were doing.

Since No Name Cay has no fresh water and little forage for the pigs, locals transport food to the island, mostly from Green Turtle Cay. Also, Sunset Marine on that island donated a 2,000-gallon water tank to slack the thirst of the residents of Piggyville.

Regardless of their origins, if you cruise near No Name Cay, you can expect the swimming pigs of Piggyville to greet you on the beach!