The swimming pigs are surrounded by a variety of local legends. Rumors suggests that the pigs were brought to the island by sailors who planned to eat them upon their return. The pigs were said to have subsisted on food waste abandoned by passing ships. According to locals, the truth behind the swimming pigs’ story can be traced back to the early 1990s. The pigs were said to have been raised on Staniel Cay before the locals decided to move the animals. The pigs were relocated to the uninhabited island, Big Major Cay, where the pigs were left to roam free. As time progressed, the population of the pigs gradually began to multiply. Periodically, inhabitants of Staniel Cay would head over to the island, pick the fattest pig, and share the meat to locals. As word began to spread of the island, tourism came with abundance. And with tourism, came nourishment for these animals.

And then came Joyce and Jay as Pig Island tourists. We got there early, before tons of other tourists had filled the stomachs of the pigs, so they were really happy to see us.