Experience The Exumas and the World Famous Swimming Pigs

The big draw is the Exumas adventure itself: one long day from New Providence to a chain of bright-water cays where pigs paddle toward your boat, nurse sharks glide through shallow water, and an old plane wreck rests below the surface. You also get Rock Iguanas, a beach or sandbar stop, and a Bahamian buffet.

I like the variety. You are not spending eight hours on a boat for one photo opportunity. I also like the useful inclusions: lunch at Lorraine’s Cafe, unlimited beer and mojitos, bottled water, snacks, and towels. The main drawback is the ride. A speedboat covering 78 miles can be very bumpy, especially when wind and waves pick up.

Key points

• Six stops in one full day: The route includes the famous Pig Beach, Compass Cay, Norman’s Cay, and additional Exuma stops.
• Swimming pigs in their natural setting: You get about 45 minutes with the animals at Pig Beach.
• Close contact with nurse sharks: Compass Cay offers another 45-minute stop with friendly sharks.
• A genuine underwater oddity: Norman’s Cay has a sunken WWII-era plane linked to a major 1970s smuggling operation.
• Food and drinks are covered: The package includes a Bahamian buffet, beer, mojitos, water, snacks, fruit or chips, and towels.
• Small group, fast boat: The maximum group size is 22, but expect a quick and sometimes rough ride.

Why this Exuma day is more than a pig encounter

Many boat trips promise one striking stop and then fill the day with transport. This one packs several very different experiences into roughly eight and a half hours. You leave New Providence for the Exumas, travel about 78 miles by sleek speedboat, and spend the day moving between wildlife, snorkeling, food, and open-water scenery.

That variety matters because the pigs are only one piece of the outing. You might start with the animals everyone came to see, then switch to nurse sharks, Rock Iguanas, and an old aircraft beneath the water. The day has a sense of motion and discovery, even though the schedule is tightly timed.

The cost is $439 per person, so this is not a casual add-on. I see the value in it if you want to cover several Exuma highlights in one organized day and would otherwise need to arrange a private boat, food, drinks, and equipment separately. It is harder to justify if you dislike fast boats or would rather spend a quiet day on one beach.

The experience has a 4.8 rating from 168 reviews and a 94 percent recommendation rate. Those numbers fit the main pattern: the wildlife and scenery can be superb, while weather, rough water, and occasional communication problems are the risks to consider before booking.

Leaving Paradise Island at 7:30 am

The meeting point is 1 Cove Blvd on Paradise Island, with departure scheduled for 7:30 am. That early start is practical. The Exumas are not next door, and the crew needs enough time to reach the cays, make the stops, serve lunch, and return before the day gets too late.

The boat is built for speed, not a slow sightseeing cruise. That helps the tour reach distant stops in one day, but it also means you should expect movement. One particularly useful piece of advice is simple: if you get motion sick or dislike a hard ride, think carefully before paying for this outing.

The boat may hold up to 22 people. That is a manageable group size for a day on the water, though it is not a private charter. Your experience will also depend on wind and wave conditions. The crew has to balance comfort with the distance and the need to reach each stop on schedule.

Captain T and Keyshawn are among the crew members named in guest feedback. The crew is credited with keeping the day organized and handling rougher conditions well. Still, no captain can turn an open-water speedboat into a calm ferry when the sea is running high.

Pig Beach and the famous swimming pigs

Pig Beach is the headline stop, and you get about 45 minutes there. The appeal is not a staged show in a pool. You interact with the world-famous pigs in their natural environment, with the Exuma water and shoreline forming the backdrop.

The pigs are accustomed to boats and people, but they remain animals. Follow the crew’s directions, keep food handling under control, and give the animals room when asked. The best part is the oddness of the scene: pigs paddling through clear Caribbean water is exactly the kind of travel memory that sounds made up until you see it.

Forty-five minutes is enough for photographs and time in the water, but it is not a leisurely beach afternoon. You may need to move efficiently so everyone gets a turn near the pigs. If this is your main reason for booking, keep your expectations realistic. You will have a meaningful encounter, but the schedule includes several other stops.

This is also where timing matters. The boat has a long route to cover, and the crew cannot linger indefinitely. I like that the tour gives Pig Beach a full stop instead of treating it as a quick photo pass, but you should not expect unlimited time with the animals.

Compass Cay and the nurse sharks

At Compass Cay, you spend about 45 minutes learning about and interacting with friendly nurse sharks. For many people, this is the most memorable stop of the day. The sharks are large, calm-looking creatures, and seeing them in shallow, clear water makes the encounter feel immediate without requiring a scuba certification.

The word friendly should not be confused with harmless. Nurse sharks are still wild animals, so listen closely to the crew and respect the rules around touching, feeding, and entering the water. The value of this stop comes from observing an unusual animal in its own setting, not from turning it into a circus act.

The clear water helps here. You can see the sharks below and around you, which makes the experience accessible even if you are not a strong snorkeler. At the same time, getting in and out of the water requires a moderate level of physical fitness.

If you are choosing between the stops, the sharks may be the strongest reason for booking this particular route. The experience combines wildlife, a bit of adrenaline, and enough time to take in what you are seeing. It also gives the day a useful change of pace after the pigs.

Norman’s Cay and the sunken plane

Norman’s Cay brings a different kind of story. You snorkel over a sunken WWII-era plane resting beneath shallow, turquoise water. The aircraft later became connected with a major smuggling operation in the 1970s, adding an unusual historical edge to what might otherwise be a simple snorkeling stop.

You get about 30 minutes here. That is a shorter visit than at Pig Beach or Compass Cay, but shallow water makes the wreck easy to appreciate in a limited window. You do not need to spend the whole day underwater to understand why the plane has become a local attraction.

The wreck stop may suit you especially well if you enjoy places with a story attached. It is not just a pretty patch of sea. You are looking at a physical remnant with a past, then swimming above it in water clear enough to make the outline visible.

Snorkeling is an active part of the itinerary, so bring a willingness to get wet and move around. The supplied information does not list specific snorkel gear, so confirm equipment details before departure if that matters to you. Complimentary towels are included, which is helpful after the water stops.

Rock Iguanas, beaches, and the extra Exuma stops

The day also includes ancient Rock Iguanas and a stop at an Exuma beach or sandbar. These moments provide a welcome pause from the more famous animal encounters. The iguanas offer a look at native wildlife, while the beach or sandbar gives you time to appreciate the clean, open setting without a formal attraction taking center stage.

The advertised day covers five cays, and the route is described as making six stops in total. Only three stops have detailed times provided: 45 minutes at Pig Beach, 45 minutes at Compass Cay, and 30 minutes at Norman’s Cay. The remaining stops help fill out the day, but exact names and timings are not supplied.

That uncertainty is worth noting. You will get a broad Exuma sampler, not a slow visit to one carefully explored island. If you enjoy variety, this is a strength. If you want long stretches alone on a sandbar, the schedule may feel hurried.

The setting itself is the constant thread. Clear water, pale sand, small cays, and open views make the boat travel part of the experience rather than dead time. Even so, the ride can be rough, and the scenery does not erase the physical effects of speed and waves.

Lunch at Lorraine’s Cafe in Black Point

Lunch is a Bahamian buffet at Lorraine’s Cafe in Black Point, Exuma. This is more useful than an ordinary snack box because you get a proper meal during a long day outside. After several water and wildlife stops, a sit-down food break helps you reset.

The menu is not specified, so I would not book this expecting a particular dish. What is clear is that the meal is part of the price, along with snacks such as fruit and/or chips. Bottled water is also included, which is important in the Bahamian sun.

Alcoholic drinks are covered too, with unlimited beer and mojitos. That can add real value to a $439 excursion, especially when you consider the cost of buying drinks separately on a full-day boat trip. Use common sense, though. Alcohol and fast boats, swimming, and heat are not a great combination in large amounts.

The lunch stop also gives you a more local break from the boat. You are not simply being handed food between wildlife encounters. You reach Black Point and eat at a Bahamian cafe, which adds a small but worthwhile connection to life in the Exumas.

What $439 buys you

At $439, this is a premium day trip. You are paying for the long boat transfer from New Providence, the crew, access to several cays, wildlife encounters, snorkeling, lunch, drinks, snacks, water, and towels. The included food and beverages make the price easier to understand, but they do not make it inexpensive.

I think the price works best for someone with limited time in the Bahamas. You can see several signature Exuma sights without arranging separate transport or choosing between pigs and sharks. The package also removes some of the usual planning burden: meals and basic refreshments are already handled.

The value is weaker if you only want Pig Beach. In that case, you are paying for a full day of speedboat travel and additional stops you may not care about. It is also not the best fit if you prefer a low-cost ferry, a quiet beach, or a private itinerary that lets you set the pace.

The tour’s maximum of 22 people keeps it smaller than a large cruise excursion, but it does not promise solitude. You will share the boat, the lunch stop, and the animal encounters with other people. That is a fair trade for the number of places covered in one day.

Weather, cancellations, and practical limits

The experience requires good weather. Wind and waves have caused cancellations, and those conditions can also make an operating trip rough. If poor weather cancels the tour, you are offered another date or a full refund.

There have also been problems with cancellation communication and an overbooking caused by a calendar syncing issue. Those cases were acknowledged and apologized for, but they are still worth keeping in mind when planning a tightly scheduled holiday. If you have a flight or cruise departure soon afterward, leave a buffer rather than treating the return time as guaranteed.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the 7:30 am start time. Changes or cancellations made less than 24 hours ahead are not accepted for a refund. The activity can also be canceled if its minimum number of participants is not met, with a different date, another experience, or a full refund offered.

The tour is near public transportation, and confirmation is provided when you book. A moderate physical fitness level is required, and the activity is not recommended for people over 275 pounds. Those limits matter because you will board a speedboat, move around during water stops, and get in and out of the sea.

Who should book this Exuma tour

I would recommend it to you if you want a packed, high-energy day with several famous Bahamian sights. It is particularly well suited to first-time visitors who want pigs, sharks, iguanas, snorkeling, a beach or sandbar, and a Bahamian meal without organizing separate trips.

Families with older children may like the variety, provided everyone can manage the boat ride and water activities. Wildlife fans will get the strongest payoff from the pigs, nurse sharks, and Rock Iguanas. The plane wreck adds something for anyone who enjoys unusual places with a story.

I would hesitate if you get seasick, have limited mobility, dislike group tours, or want a calm day. The tour is active and weather-dependent. The boat ride is not a minor transfer, it is a major part of the day.

Should you book it?

Book this tour if the idea of combining pigs, nurse sharks, a plane wreck, iguanas, and clear Exuma water sounds worth a long, fast ride. The included lunch, drinks, snacks, water, and towels help support the high price, and the range of stops gives you far more than a single animal encounter.

Skip it if your ideal Bahamas day means staying close to Nassau, sitting quietly on one beach, or avoiding rough water. For the right person, Pieces of 8 Tours offers a memorable sampler of the Exumas. Just treat the speedboat, weather risk, and tight schedule as central parts of the experience, not small footnotes.

FAQ

Where does the tour start?

The tour starts at 1 Cove Blvd on Paradise Island, The Bahamas.

What time does the tour begin?

The scheduled start time is 7:30 am.

How long does the experience last?

The tour lasts approximately 8 hours and 30 minutes.

How many people can join the tour?

The maximum group size is 22 travelers.

How far does the boat travel?

The speedboat travels about 78 miles to the Exumas Cays.

What animals can I see?

You can see and interact with swimming pigs at Pig Beach, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, and Rock Iguanas during the Exuma stops.

Is lunch included?

Yes. A Bahamian buffet lunch at Lorraine’s Cafe in Black Point, Exuma, is included.

Are drinks and towels included?

Yes. The tour includes unlimited beer and mojitos, bottled water, snacks, fruit and/or chips, and complimentary use of towels.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather cancels the experience, you are offered a different date or a full refund.