Swimming with the Pigs!

Swimming with the Pigs- By Guest Blogger, Danny Perez of Sandals & Beaches Resorts

For this week’s experience I am going to talk to you about my favorite Island Routes excursion the Exuma Cays Ocean Safari, most commonly known as “swimming with the pigs”.

My first and only opportunity with this excursion so far came this past August when I was down at Sandals Emerald Bay. Going into this excursion, I honestly didn’t know what to expect. I knew I was in for a truly unique experience. I knew I was excited to finally see what all the fuss was about with these pigs and I may have hyped it up too much in my head. Possibly set myself up to be disappointed but let me tell you, it did not in any way, shape or form.

Once we arrived at the dock, the group piled on to a custom designed PowerCat that had 007 decaled on the side. Of course me being a huge fan, I started thinking that was going to rid of the world of some evil genius and save the day but that’s beside the point. The boat was loaded with plenty of beverages, both adult and non-adult and with hot dogs to feed the pigs. No worries, they were veggie dogs J. So once everyone was on we cast off and made our way to the piggies. Once we arrived at the Cay, there wasn’t a pig in sight but you could see where they took shelter and tubs were food was provided. The boat captain started to whistle and call out to them and within seconds there came the herd crashing into the water to go for a swim. Babies had just recently been born so there was pigs of all sizes to enjoy. We fed them, played with them, held them and yes of course swam with them. They were so friendly, it was truly a great experience! One that I will never forget!

Once we got on the boat, I honestly though the excursion was over but I saw that there was loads of grapes on board the boat. I didn’t ask questions because I wanted to be surprised and see what else was in store. We hopped over to another Cay and on this Cay lived the Bahamian Rock Iguana… HOLY MOLY I have never seen that many lizards at one time. But, I did get off of the boat and walked onto that beach and started to feed them grapes. I wasn’t scared and never felt threatened by the Iguanas. One of the cool things, I thought was the sound of the snap of their mouths grabbing the grapes. You could tell that whatever they grab is not being let go easily.

The final two cays on this excursion offered stunning views both on land and under the sea. The excursion gives you a chance to hike up one of the cays, not a bad hike at all, to a point where you have a beautiful view of the Atlantic. Great spot for pictures and just bask in the Caribbean atmosphere. Once the land views were had it was time go beneath the ocean surface. Snorkeling was provided as we were taken a reef that showcase different sea life and beautiful colors all the way around.

I highly recommend this excursion to any and all looking for a truly magical experience!

Thanks,

Danny Perez
Business Development Manager for Sandals & Beaches Resorts

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