Nassau: Discover Exuma Island Hopping and Swimming Pigs Tour

The headline attraction is clear: swimming pigs at Big Major’s Cay. But this is much more than a quick pig visit. In one long day, you’ll cross the Exuma Cays by power boat, meet rare Rock Iguanas, swim near nurse sharks, snorkel a famous wreck, and finish on a beach or sandbar.

I like the well-planned variety, since you rarely stay in one place for too long. I also like the all-inclusive setup, with buffet lunch, local beer, sodas, water, snacks, snorkel gear, landing fees, and food for the pigs covered in the price.

The main consideration is the boat ride. You’ll spend several hours moving between stops, and the open-water trip can feel tiring for anyone with back, heart, or motion-related concerns. Beach time is also fairly short, and the final location may be a beach or sandbar chosen by the captain.

Key points to know before booking

• Five Exuma-area stops: The day includes Allen’s Cay, Compass Cay, Big Major’s Cay, a plane wreck near Norman’s Cay, and a final beach or sandbar.
• Rare Bahamian wildlife: Allen’s Cay is home to Rock Iguanas found only on three small islands in Exuma.
• Swimming pigs and nurse sharks: You can feed pigs at Big Major’s Cay and swim near nurse sharks at Compass Cay Marina.
• Long, fast boat journey: The ride from Paradise Island to the Exuma Cays takes just over an hour each way, with more boat time between stops.
• Food and gear included: Lunch, drinks, snacks, snorkel equipment, landing fees, and pig food are included.
• Shared group of up to 24 people: This keeps the price below a private charter, but the day will not feel quiet or tailor-made.

Why this Exuma day trip packs in so much

This is an ambitious day on the water, not a slow beach outing. Born Free Charters takes you from its desk at Carnivale Bahamas on Paradise Island into the Exuma Cays, a chain known for clear water, small islands, sandbars, and marine life.

You’ll spend about eight hours on the full experience. Some sections are active, with swimming and snorkeling. Other sections are simply about stepping ashore, taking photos, or watching animals. The quick changes are part of the appeal. You get a broad taste of Exuma without arranging several separate excursions.

The tradeoff is pace. This is not the tour for sitting under an umbrella for half a day. The captain controls the route and can change the order of stops, likely to fit conditions and timing. That flexibility is useful, but it means your exact sequence may differ from the outline below.

With a 4.9 rating from 29 bookings and a 93 percent perfect score for transport, the strongest theme is the smooth flow from one activity to the next. One recent booking described the schedule as well planned because the group did not remain in one place too long. That is the right way to think about this trip: an active sampler of Exuma, with many short chapters rather than one long stay.

The power boat ride from Paradise Island

Your day begins at Carnivale Bahamas on Paradise Island, at the Born Free Charters desk. Transportation to the meeting point is not included, so you need to make your own way there. Give yourself enough time to check in, since the boat departs for a full day away from Nassau.

The first run southeast takes just over an hour. Later boat sections range from about 10 to 70 minutes, depending on the stop. In all, the ride back to Paradise Island is another long stretch, so plan for a full day in the sun and wind.

The high-speed boat is what makes the Exuma route possible in one day. You can reach islands and marine sites that are too far for a casual Nassau outing. The cost of that reach is comfort. Bring the required towel and sunscreen, and protect anything you do not want splashed. The supplied information does not specify covered seating, so you should expect a very exposed day on the water.

The shared boat can hold up to 24 people. That is a reasonable group size for keeping the cost below a private charter, though movement at busy stops may feel less personal. The guide speaks English, and the captain has discretion over the order of visits.

Allen’s Cay and its rare Rock Iguanas

After the first boat run, you spend about 25 minutes at Allen’s Cay for wildlife viewing. The star here is the Bahamian Rock Iguana, a species found nowhere else in the world except three small islands in Exuma.

This stop gives the day some substance beyond the most famous photo opportunities. You are not just chasing social media moments. You are seeing an animal tied closely to this small island environment, then moving on before the schedule becomes too slow.

Twenty-five minutes is enough for a focused wildlife stop, but not enough for a long nature walk. You’ll want to keep your camera ready and listen to the crew’s instructions. The animals are part of the attraction, so treat the encounter as wildlife viewing rather than a guaranteed hands-on visit.

Nurse sharks at Compass Cay Marina

The next boat ride lasts about 45 minutes, taking you farther south through the Exuma Cays to Compass Cay. Here, the group spends about 35 minutes viewing marine life and swimming near nurse sharks beneath the docks at Compass Cay Marina.

Nurse sharks are generally slow-moving bottom feeders, and this site is known for welcoming many visitors each year. The appeal is the close view in shallow water near the marina. For many people, this will be the most exciting water stop before the pigs.

You should still take the captain and crew seriously. A shark swim is a wildlife encounter, not a staged pool attraction, even when the animals are accustomed to boats and people. The stop is short, which helps keep the day moving but may leave you wishing for more time in the water.

If you are uneasy around large marine animals, you can still get value from watching from the dock or boat, depending on how the stop is managed. The tour is not suitable for people with heart problems, back problems, mobility impairments, or pregnancy, so this is an important point to consider before booking.

Big Major’s Cay and the famous swimming pigs

From Compass Cay, the boat takes about 10 minutes to Big Major’s Cay. You’ll have roughly 40 minutes for swimming and wildlife viewing with the pigs.

Big Major’s Cay is the photo stop most people already know. The pigs became internationally famous through television appearances and social media, but the appeal is still simple: you wade into the water, feed them with the supplied food, and watch them paddle around the beach.

You should keep your expectations practical. Forty minutes passes quickly once you account for landing, listening to instructions, taking photos, feeding the pigs, and getting back to the boat. It is a lively encounter, not a quiet afternoon with animals.

The tour includes food for the pigs, so you do not need to bring anything for them. Follow the crew’s directions about feeding and handling. The pigs are accustomed to visitors, but that does not make them toys. Keep your belongings secure, and expect wet clothes if you enter the water.

This is one of the strongest reasons to choose the tour, especially if you want the famous Exuma experience without arranging a separate boat charter. Just remember that the stop is shared with other people and may be busy.

Lunch at a local Exuma restaurant

After Big Major’s Cay, you take a short 10-minute ride to lunch. The meal lasts about an hour, giving you the longest stationary break of the day.

A buffet lunch and a cold drink are included. The package also covers local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks. That matters on an eight-hour boat excursion, since you will be active in the heat and may not want to spend time arranging food between stops.

The available details do not name the restaurant or specify the buffet dishes. You should therefore think of lunch as a useful included meal, not as a carefully chosen food tour. If you have dietary restrictions, check before booking rather than assuming the buffet will suit you.

The hour also gives you a chance to dry off and reset before the next water activity. Compared with the short wildlife visits, this is a welcome pause.

Snorkeling Pablo Escobar’s sunken plane

After lunch, the boat runs for about 35 minutes to the wreck site near Norman’s Cay. You’ll spend around 30 minutes snorkeling at the plane often called Pablo Escobar’s sunken plane.

The story behind the wreck adds drama. In the late 1970s, Pablo Escobar reportedly controlled Norman’s Cay and used its small runway as a base and refueling point for cocaine flights between Mexico and the United States. The aircraft later crashed into the water, and the wreck became a well-known snorkeling site.

The important word here is reportedly. The tour presents the location through its connection to that history, but you should not expect a museum, formal exhibit, or intact aircraft that you can walk through. The attraction is the wreck underwater, viewed with snorkel gear.

Snorkeling time is about half an hour, so you can get a good look without the stop taking over the day. The tour includes snorkel equipment, which saves you from bringing your own. You will still need a towel and sunscreen, and you should be comfortable in open water before signing up.

This stop gives the itinerary a welcome change of mood. The iguanas and pigs are land-based wildlife encounters. The sharks are a marine-life swim. The plane wreck adds a bit of local legend and history to the natural scenery.

The final beach or sandbar stop

Your last Exuma stop is a beautiful beach or sandbar, with about 30 minutes for swimming and sunbathing. The captain chooses the location, so you cannot count on one particular sandbar.

This flexibility lets the crew respond to conditions and timing, but it also creates the biggest uncertainty in the day. One recent booking specifically suggested that an isolated sandbar would improve the beach portion. If you are booking mainly for a long, peaceful beach break, this tour may disappoint.

If you see the beach stop as a final chance to get in the water, take photos, and enjoy the setting, it fits the trip well. If you want several hours on soft sand, choose a dedicated beach excursion instead.

The short stop also means you should not pack your beach expectations too high. The famous pigs, the shark swim, and the wreck are the core experiences. The final beach is a pleasant extra, but not the main reason to pay for the trip.

What the $489 price really covers

At $489 per person, this is an expensive day trip. The value depends on how much you would otherwise pay for transport, landing access, food, equipment, and separate wildlife stops.

The package includes:

• High-speed boat transportation during the tour
• Buffet lunch at a local restaurant
• Local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks
• Snorkel equipment
• Landing fees
• Food for the swimming pigs

You are paying for access to a far-flung group of islands, not just a single attraction. A private charter would likely offer more control and space, but this shared trip spreads the boat and operating costs across as many as 24 people.

I think the price makes the most sense if you want to see several Exuma highlights in one day and do not want to arrange each part yourself. It makes less sense if you mainly want pigs or beach time, since a large share of the day is spent riding between stops.

Crew gratuity is not included. That is left to your discretion, so account for it when setting your budget.

Who should book this tour

I would recommend this outing to you if you want a busy, active day with many different stops. It suits confident swimmers, wildlife fans, photographers, and first-time visitors who want a broad introduction to the Exuma Cays.

It is also a good match if you care about convenience. Lunch, drinks, snacks, gear, landing fees, and pig food are already handled. You can focus on the day rather than carrying a long list of extras.

I would be cautious if you have back problems, heart problems, mobility limits, or difficulty with long boat rides. The tour is not suitable for wheelchair users, pregnant women, children under two, or people who need a stroller or electric wheelchair.

Cruise ship passengers should note that this experience is specifically listed as unsuitable for cruise ship guests. It may not fit the timing or meeting requirements of a ship day, so do not assume that being in Nassau makes it workable.

Simple ways to prepare for the day

Bring a towel and sunscreen, as requested. Wear clothing that can get wet, and keep your phone or camera protected during the boat rides and animal stops.

You do not need to bring snorkel equipment or food for the pigs. The tour supplies both. Water, sodas, local beer, snacks, and lunch are also covered, though bringing a personal refillable container may still be useful if you prefer one.

Plan for sun, wind, spray, and a long day. The boat schedule includes several short rides, one-hour stretches, and the long return run to Paradise Island. This is not an outing where you can simply step back to your hotel between activities.

The captain may change the order of the itinerary. That is normal for this kind of day on the water, so focus on the full range of stops rather than expecting a particular sequence.

Should you book the Exuma island-hopping tour?

Book it if you want the most varied possible Exuma day from Nassau and are happy to trade comfort and long beach time for wildlife, swimming, snorkeling, and fast boat travel. The combination of rare iguanas, nurse sharks, swimming pigs, a famous wreck, lunch, and a final beach stop gives you a lot for one day.

Skip it if you want a quiet beach escape, a private boat, or a relaxed schedule. At $489, the tour needs to match your priorities. For an active first look at Exuma with most major costs already included, it is a strong choice. For one single attraction, it is more trip than you need.

FAQ

Where does the tour begin?

It begins at Carnivale Bahamas on Paradise Island, at the Born Free Charters desk. Transportation to the check-in location is not included.

How long does the tour last?

The experience lasts about eight hours, including the boat rides and stops.

How many people can join the shared tour?

The shared boat can carry up to 24 guests.

What animals will I see?

You may see Bahamian Rock Iguanas at Allen’s Cay, nurse sharks at Compass Cay Marina, and swimming pigs at Big Major’s Cay.

Can I swim with the pigs?

Yes. The Big Major’s Cay stop includes swimming and wildlife viewing, and food for the pigs is included.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkel gear is included for the plane wreck stop.

Is lunch included?

Yes. The tour includes a buffet lunch at a local restaurant.

Are drinks included?

Yes. Local beer, sodas, bottled water, and light snacks are included.

Can the itinerary change?

Yes. The captain may change the order of the stops.

Who should not book this experience?

It is not suitable for children under two, pregnant women, people with back or heart problems, people with mobility impairments, wheelchair users, or cruise ship guests. Baby strollers, baby carriages, and electric wheelchairs are not allowed.