Exuma Island Hopping Swimming Pigs Tour with Lunch from Nassau

Blue water, wild animals, and one very fast boat.

This full-day trip from Paradise Island packs several Exuma highlights into roughly eight hours: Bahamian rock iguanas, nurse sharks, a Bahamian lunch, the famous swimming pigs, a plane wreck, and a final beach or sandbar stop. I like the variety, and I like that Born Free Charters includes food, drinks, snorkeling gear, and a small-group setting of no more than 25 people.

The trade-off is time on the boat. The powerboat moves quickly, but Exuma is a long way from Nassau, so you may spend close to four hours seated between stops. Bring a light jacket, towel, and sun protection, and know that this is an active day with several entries and exits from the water.

The day at a glance

• Six very different stops: See rock iguanas at Allen Cay, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, swimming pigs at Big Major’s Cay, a wreck near Norman’s Cay, and a beach or sandbar in Exuma.
• Fast transport from Paradise Island: The powerboat makes this ambitious route possible in one day, but the ride is windy and can feel long.
• Food and drinks included: You receive light snacks, bottled water, soda, local beer for those 18 and older, and a Bahamian-style buffet lunch.
• Small group limit: The boat holds a maximum of 25 people, giving the crew a reasonable chance to help with boarding, swimming, and equipment.
• Best for active sightseers: You should be comfortable with a full day outdoors, repeated boat boarding, swimming, snorkeling, and sun exposure.
• Weather matters: Poor conditions can lead to a new date or full refund, and stop times may change when sea conditions turn rough.

Why this Exuma trip costs $438.90

At $438.90 per person, this is not a casual beach outing. You are paying for a long boat transfer from New Providence to the Exuma Cays, several separate attractions, a restaurant lunch, drinks, equipment, and the crew’s support throughout the day.

The value depends on how you would otherwise spend your Nassau holiday. If you only want to see the pigs, this price may feel high. If you want to visit the pigs, swim with nurse sharks, see rock iguanas, snorkel at a wreck, and spend time on a sandbar without arranging each boat trip separately, the cost makes more sense.

I especially like that the tour combines experiences that feel quite different. The iguanas are a land encounter, the sharks are a marina swim, Pig Beach is a lively animal stop, and Norman’s Cay adds snorkeling and local legend. The day is not built around one attraction alone.

The lunch and refreshments also matter. You are out for about eight hours, and the crew provides snacks and drinks on the boat, along with a Bahamian buffet and cold drink at Great Exuma. That saves you from having to plan meals during a day when you are moving between small islands.

Still, you should not expect hours at every stop. The schedule gives about 20 minutes at Allen Cay, 40 minutes at Compass Cay, 45 minutes with the pigs, 30 minutes at Norman’s Cay, and 35 minutes for beach time, plus an hour for lunch. That is enough for a taste of each place, but not for a slow, unhurried visit.

Meeting the boat at Paradise Island

You make your own way to Carnivale Bahamas at One Marina Way, Paradise Island, in Sterling Marina at Hurricane Hole. Check-in begins in the morning, with the listed start time at 8:30 a.m.

This is an important planning detail. The tour does not collect you from a cruise ship, and it is specifically not recommended for cruise ship passengers. The return time depends on the day’s conditions and route, so this is better suited to someone staying in Nassau or Paradise Island rather than someone working against a ship departure.

The mobile ticket is convenient, but you still need to arrive ready for a boat day. Wear swimwear under comfortable clothes, carry a towel, and pack a light jacket or hoodie. Several people found the fast ride chilly and windy, even in warm Bahamian weather.

The boat includes a restroom, which is useful during the long stretches between islands. The crew also supplies snorkeling equipment, but I would still bring your own towel and any preferred sun protection.

Allen Cay and the rare rock iguanas

The first stop is Allen Cay, home to Bahamian rock iguanas. These reptiles are found only on three small islands in Exuma, so this is more than a quick photo stop. You are seeing an animal with a very limited natural range in a place where it belongs.

The allotted time is about 20 minutes. That keeps the morning moving, but it also means you should be ready to watch, take a few photos, and follow the crew’s instructions rather than expect a long walk around the island.

This stop gives the day a good opening. You start with wildlife on land before heading to the water. The crew provides guidance about what to do and what not to do around the animals, which is especially useful if you are bringing children.

Swimming with nurse sharks at Compass Cay

Compass Cay is one of the day’s most unusual stops. Nurse sharks gather around the marina, and they are accustomed to people in the water. You can enter the shallow water, swim near them, and take photos under the crew’s direction.

For many people, this becomes the surprise favorite. The pigs may be the advertised star, but the shark encounter feels more personal and memorable because you are in the water with a large wild animal rather than watching from a boat.

That said, this is not a place to ignore instructions. The crew takes safety seriously and helps people get on and off the boat. You should be comfortable entering the water and following directions in a group.

You have about 40 minutes here. That is a useful amount of time for getting changed, entering the water, enjoying the encounter, and drying off before lunch. It is not a private swim session, so expect other people to be enjoying the same marina.

Bahamian lunch at Great Exuma

After the morning animal stops, the tour pauses at a local restaurant on Great Exuma for about an hour. Lunch is a Bahamian-style buffet, with a cold drink included.

This meal breaks up the day well. A fast boat ride, sun, wind, and swimming can leave you hungry, so a proper sit-down meal is more useful than another snack from a cooler. The food received repeated praise, and one of the strongest comments about the tour was simply that the lunch was excellent.

The stop also gives you a chance to warm up and dry off before the afternoon water activities. You should not treat it as a long cultural visit to Great Exuma, however. The purpose is a practical meal stop within a packed island route.

Big Major’s Cay and the famous swimming pigs

Big Major’s Cay, commonly called Pig Beach, is the day’s headline attraction. The pigs enter the shallow water, and you can feed and swim with them during the roughly 45-minute stop.

The experience is playful and photogenic, but it is also worth keeping your expectations sensible. This is a popular place, and the pigs are there for food and attention. Listen carefully to the crew around the animals, keep food under control, and avoid treating the encounter like a petting zoo.

The stop works best if you want a fun, unusual memory rather than a quiet beach visit. The pigs are active, the water is clear, and the setting makes for strong photographs. If your main goal is to spend a long time with the animals, the fixed schedule may feel short.

For many people, the pigs are only one part of the appeal. The nurse sharks and final sandbar can be just as memorable, which is one reason I prefer this broad itinerary to a pig-only trip.

Norman’s Cay and the sunken plane

Near Norman’s Cay, you have about 30 minutes to snorkel around a plane wreck. The aircraft is widely associated with Pablo Escobar and the drug trade of the late 1970s, though the story is presented as a rumor connected to the wreck.

The plane gives the snorkeling stop a clear focus. You are not simply swimming over open water, and the wreck adds a strange bit of local lore to an already unusual day. Bring your underwater camera if you have one, but remember that visibility and water conditions can affect what you see.

This is not a traditional snorkeling tour built around reefs and extended time underwater. The trip uses snorkeling as one part of a wider island-hopping day. If you want a serious snorkeling session, this tour may not provide enough time or variety. If you like a quick swim with an unusual object and a memorable story, it fits nicely.

The final beach or sandbar stop

The last stop is a beach or sandbar in Exuma, selected by the captain. You have about 35 minutes for swimming, sunbathing, and photographs.

This may sound less dramatic than pigs or sharks, but it gives the day a necessary quiet finish. The water is famously clear, and a shallow sandbar lets you slow down after a busy schedule of boarding, swimming, and moving between islands.

The exact location is not fixed, so do not book this expecting one named beach. Think of it as a flexible final stop shaped by weather and sea conditions. It is also a good chance to rinse off, take final photographs, and enjoy the color of the water without a special animal attraction competing for your attention.

The powerboat ride is part of the experience

The boat is not just transport. The fast ride is one of the reasons this tour can cover so much ground in one day, and the open-water views are a major part of the appeal.

You will also feel the cost of that speed. The boat can be windy and chilly, especially when you are wet. A light jacket, hoodie, or other cover is one of the best practical tips for this trip. Strong sun is another concern, so use sunscreen and bring protection for your head and shoulders.

People who enjoy being on the water may find the ride exciting and relaxing. If you dislike long periods of sitting, motion, or wind, the same ride may be the weakest part of the day. One useful way to judge this tour is to ask yourself if you would enjoy several hours on a fast boat even without the stops.

The crew helps keep the ride lively with music, snacks, drinks, and information about islands along the route. Several crew members have been praised by name, including Captain Winston, Alex, TJ, Keith, Joey, Jasmine, and Chris. Crew assignments can vary, but the pattern is clear: friendly service and hands-on help are central to the experience.

Comfort, fitness, and who should skip it

You need a moderate level of physical fitness. The day includes moving around a boat, climbing in and out of the water, swimming, snorkeling, walking at island stops, and handling wet clothing.

The tour is not permitted for pregnant people. It is also not a good match if you need an easy, low-movement outing or if you strongly dislike speedboat travel.

Families can enjoy the variety, and the crew has been praised for helping children feel comfortable. Solo visitors can also fit in well because the group format provides a full day of activities without requiring you to arrange several separate trips.

The maximum group size is 25 people. That is not an intimate private charter, but it is small enough for the crew to offer help with equipment, boarding, drinks, and safety reminders.

Weather and changing stop times

The tour requires good weather. If poor conditions force a cancellation, you can choose another date or receive a full refund. A minimum number of participants is also required, with the same general choice of a different date, another experience, or a refund if the trip does not operate.

Even when the boat goes out, weather can affect the schedule. Stop times may be shortened if the captain is concerned about conditions. This is a sensible safety decision, but it can disappoint you if you expect every listed minute at every stop.

I would book this with some flexibility in mind. The itinerary is ambitious, and the sea decides how smoothly it works. The best attitude is to value the full day as a moving boat adventure, not as six separate guaranteed appointments.

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the start time. Changes or cancellations inside that window are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book this Exuma tour?

I would book it if you want the broadest possible taste of the Exuma Cays in one day and you are happy to spend a lot of time on a fast boat. The strongest reasons are the variety, the included lunch and drinks, the helpful crew, and the chance to combine pigs, sharks, iguanas, a wreck, and a sandbar without arranging separate excursions.

I would skip it if you want a slow beach day, a long snorkeling session, or several relaxed hours at Pig Beach. The $438.90 price is easier to justify when you treat this as a full island-hopping package rather than a single pig encounter.

Bring a towel, light jacket, swimwear, sun protection, and patience for the ride. If those basics suit you, this is one of the more efficient and memorable ways to see beyond Nassau.

FAQ

Where does the Exuma island-hopping tour start?

The tour starts at Carnivale Bahamas, One Marina Way, Paradise Island, at Sterling Marina in Hurricane Hole. You make your own way to the meeting point.

What time does the tour start?

The listed start time is 8:30 a.m. The experience lasts approximately eight hours and ends back at the meeting point.

Is lunch included?

Yes. Lunch is served at a local restaurant on Great Exuma and includes a Bahamian-style buffet and a cold drink.

Are drinks and snacks included?

Yes. The tour includes light snacks, bottled water, soda, and local beer for people age 18 and older.

Can I swim with nurse sharks?

Yes. The Compass Cay stop gives you the chance to swim near nurse sharks that gather around the marina.

Is snorkeling equipment provided?

Yes. Snorkeling equipment is included, including for the plane wreck stop near Norman’s Cay.

Is this tour suitable for cruise ship passengers?

No. The tour is not recommended for cruise ship passengers.

What happens if bad weather cancels the tour?

If poor weather causes cancellation, you will be offered another date or a full refund. If the minimum number of participants is not met, you will be offered a different date or experience, or a full refund.