Attractions · 22 of the best in The Bahamas
Sharks, pigs and stingrays: wildlife encounters and etiquette
The back story
About Sharks, pigs and stingrays: wildlife encounters and etiquette
The Bahamas is famous for close encounters, from tiger sharks to swimming pigs. Here is what the rules are, where to go and how to make sure the animals are as happy as you are.
A shark sanctuary since 2011
According to the Bahamas National Trust, sharks became fully protected in The Bahamas in 2011, turning the 243,000 square miles of the archipelago into a shark sanctuary. It is illegal to catch or harm any shark. The Trust calls The Bahamas the shark-diving capital of the world, and estimates that sharks bring in around $114 million a year.
Where to see sharks
The official diving guide lists tiger sharks at Tiger Beach off Grand Bahama, silky sharks at Shark Buoy off Nassau, great hammerheads in Bimini, the Shark Rodeo in the Abacos and oceanic whitetips off Cat Island. Book with an experienced dive operator; in Bimini, the Shark Lab studies lemon sharks and runs courses.
In 2011 sharks became fully protected, turning 243,000 square miles into a sanctuary.
Compass Cay’s nurse sharks
At Compass Cay Marina in the Exuma Cays, docile nurse sharks gather around the dock, and visitors slip into the water to swim alongside them. Listen to the marina staff and keep your hands to yourself unless they tell you otherwise.
The swimming pigs
About 20 pigs and piglets live on uninhabited Big Major Cay, reached only by boat. Nobody knows for sure how they got there. Local volunteers on Staniel Cay, led by Bernadette and John Chamberlain, installed water tanks, a nursery for piglets and a feeding trough so the pigs don’t swallow sand or salt water, and put up signs explaining how to behave and which foods are “pig approved”: fruit, vegetables, bread and local pig feed. Feed only at the trough, never on the sand, and act calmly around them.
Rays, iguanas and flamingos
Stocking Island has friendly wild stingrays and a Starfish Beach. On Bitter Guana Cay you meet the Bahamian rock iguana, an endangered and protected species that can live for 40 years. Inagua National Park holds the world’s largest breeding colony of West Indian flamingos, and in the Exuma Cays Land & Sea Park all fishing, conching and shelling are prohibited.
Etiquette
Use licensed operators only, on land and sea. Follow the signs on the beach and the crew’s briefing in the water. Never chase, ride or grab wildlife, leave shells and starfish where they are, and take your rubbish home. Remember that many of these places are protected by law.
Why it's on our list
- A shark sanctuary since 2011
- Where to see sharks
- Compass Cay’s nurse sharks
- The swimming pigs
- Rays, iguanas and flamingos
- Etiquette
Opening hours, prices and seasonal openings change, so please check with Sharks, pigs and stingrays: wildlife encounters and etiquette before you go.