Exuma swimming pigs day trip by speedboat

From Nassau the northern Exumas are about 40 miles of open water away, and the speedboats cover it in about an hour at 40 miles an hour or more. It is a hard, wet ride when the wind is up. Sit near the middle of the boat to cut the bumping and the spray, and pack a light waterproof jacket. Boats leave in the morning from Paradise Island and are back in the late afternoon.

Which pigs you meet depends on the boat. Big Major Cay, the original Pig Beach, lies further down the chain near Staniel Cay, so check which island a trip actually lands on. Some boats stop at a nearer cay that keeps its own pigs. A few call first at Allan's Cay to feed its endangered rock iguanas, and the day often includes stingray and nurse shark feeding, a big island lunch and an open bar. Not every trip includes a snorkel stop.

The high-speed ride rules out pregnancy, back injuries, broken bones and heart conditions, and children under two. Every trip depends on the weather. Compared with the shorter boat tours from Great Exuma, the ocean crossing takes up a bigger part of the day.