Monday night’s The Bachelor was filled with drama – Olivia was left behind on an island, Leah’s plan to throw Lauren B. under the bus backfired and she was sent packing, as were Jennifer and Lauren H during the episode’s two rose ceremonies.
But, the real stars of the show were the pigs. The entire episode took place in the Bahamas where Ben (and by Ben I mean whoever is the show’s real life Rachel Goldberg) thought it would be a good idea to take the ladies swimming with pigs. At first this seemed like a sketchy plan – scantly clad ladies, wild pigs and hot dogs (yep, they fed pigs hot dogs which Ben claimed were made out of chicken, a likely story) – what could go wrong? But, it turns out this might have been the best Bachelor excursion ever!
As the ladies ran, chased and fed the pigs all I could think was, how can I do this, too??
It turns out, there are several tour companies that book excursions to the uninhibited island of Big Major Cay, where the pigs live and are more than happy to swim with tourists, in exchange for a few snacks.
One such company, Exuma Water Tours, offers day tours that include not only swimming pigs, but also a tour of Starfish Bay, sight-seeing on private islands, a look at a sunken plane wreck, snorkeling thunder ball grotto, the chance to nurse sharks, lunch, and more starting at $172 a day.
It is unknown how the pigs came to live on the island but lore suggests they were involved in a nearby shipwreck and swam to safety on their own. The 20 or so pigs and piglets are able to survive on the island thanks to the three freshwater springs on Big Major Cay and the generosity of visitors.
Go ahead and add this to your Bahamas Bucket List, courtesy of the amazing producers at The Bachelor.
If you’re leaving from Nassau, you can also take Harbour Safaris. Their full day excursion includes swimming with the pigs, visiting the Bahamian Iguanas in Exuma, and also includes lunch at Staniel Cay Yacht Club. Priced at $369 per person, and discounts can be readily found through booking directly with them!