Pig Beach
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
| Nickname: Pig Beach | |
|---|---|
| 250px
Pigs swimming in the Bahamas.
|
|
 Location of Big Major Cay in the Bahamas
|
|
| Geography | |
| Location | the Americas |
| Archipelago | Exuma Cays |
| Total islands | 1 |
| Major islands | 1 |
| Country | |
| Capital city | Nassau |
| Largest settlement | Nassau (pop. 248,948; as of 2010[update]) |
| Prime Minister | Perry Christie |
Pig Beach[1] (also known as Pig Island,[2] Major Cay,[3] and officially Big Major Cay[4]) is an uninhabited island (or cay) located in Exuma, the Bahamas, and known for being populated by many swimming feral pigs.
Contents
Geography and features
<templatestyles src="Module:Hatnote/styles.css"></templatestyles>
Exuma is a district of the Bahamas, and consists of over 360 islands.[5] Near Big Major Cay is Staniel Cay.[6] There are three freshwater springs on the island.[6]
Anecdotal history
The pigs are said to have been dropped off on Big Major Cay by a group of sailors who wanted to come back and cook them. The sailors, though, never returned; the pigs survived on excess food dumped from passing ships.[2][7] One other legend has it that the pigs were survivors of a shipwreck and managed to swim to shore, while another claims that the pigs had escaped from a nearby islet.[8] Others suggest that the pigs were part of a business scheme to attract tourists to the Bahamas. The pigs are now fed by locals and tourists[9] and the island is unofficially known as Pig Beach by the locals.[10]
Demographics and fauna
Big Major Cay is an uninhabited island.[11] The island is home to approximately 20 pigs and piglets.[8] A few stray cats[12] and goats[13] can be found on the island too.
Getting There
Staniel Cay is the closest island with an airport with local tour guides readily available to make the short trip. Great Exuma has the closest international airport (Exuma International Airport) with direct flights from Canada and the USA. Nassau is approximately 77 nautical miles away, a 2-hour boat trip or a 35-40 minute flight.[14]
In popular culture
Jennifer R. Nolan's children's book, The Secret of Pig's Island (Ocean Education Publishing, 2010), centers around "[...] a boy who hears about an island inhabited by swimming swine, and goes to visit the pig paradise on his own."[15] Popular children's author Sandra Boynton wrote a song about Pig Island for her book of children's songs, The Dancing Philadelphia Chickens.[16]
See also
Media related to Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found. at Wikimedia Commons- List of islands of the Bahamas
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ http://www.harboursafaris.com/swimming-pigs-from-nassau/
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
