Why are visitors told not to feed pigs on the sand?

Pigs can swallow sand and get sick

What happened to some pigs in 2017?

Several died, prompting new rules

Exuma Swimming Pigs Quiz: Big Major Cay and Bahamas Cays

This Exuma swimming pigs quiz sails to Pig Beach in the Bahamas. Play 10 interactive questions on Big Major Cay, theories about how pigs arrived, why they swim to boats, rules against feeding them on sand, pig deaths in 2017, the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, the James Bond grotto, nurse sharks at Compass Cay and iguanas on Allan's Cay.

Start Exuma Swimming Pigs Quiz

🎯 Daily Trivia Challenge • 🧠 10 Questions • ⏱️ 150 Seconds

Question 1 / 10 Time: 150s

Country
Which country are the Exuma Cays in?
Island
On which island do the famous swimming pigs live?
Swim
Why do the pigs swim out to boats?
Origin
How did the pigs get there?
Rule
Why are visitors told not to feed pigs on the sand?
2017
What happened to some pigs in 2017?
Park
Which protected area is in the Exumas?
Bond
Which underwater cave appeared in a James Bond film?
Sharks
Which gentle sharks swim with visitors at Compass Cay?
Iguanas
Which reptiles live on Allan's Cay?

Explanations: answer key for all 10 questions

Q1: Which country are the Exuma Cays in?
Answer: The Bahamas
They are a chain of islands.
Q2: On which island do the famous swimming pigs live?
Answer: Big Major Cay
It is nicknamed Pig Beach.
Q3: Why do the pigs swim out to boats?
Answer: They expect food from visitors
They have learned boats bring snacks.
Q4: How did the pigs get there?
Answer: No one knows for sure
Sailors or a shipwreck are common theories.
Q5: Why are visitors told not to feed pigs on the sand?
Answer: Pigs can swallow sand and get sick
Food should be given in the water.
Q6: What happened to some pigs in 2017?
Answer: Several died, prompting new rules
Visitor behavior was blamed.
Q7: Which protected area is in the Exumas?
Answer: Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park
It was created in 1958.
Q8: Which underwater cave appeared in a James Bond film?
Answer: Thunderball Grotto
Divers swim inside.
Q9: Which gentle sharks swim with visitors at Compass Cay?
Answer: Nurse sharks
They rest on the bottom.
Q10: Which reptiles live on Allan's Cay?
Answer: Rock iguanas
They are endangered.

Pig Beach and the Wild Life of the Exuma Cays

The Exuma Cays are a chain of islands in the Bahamas known for turquoise water and white sand. On Big Major Cay, nicknamed Pig Beach, feral pigs swim out to boats, hoping visitors will feed them. Photos of swimming pigs made the island famous around the world.

No one knows for sure how the pigs got there. Popular theories say sailors left them to eat later, or that they survived a shipwreck. In 2017 several pigs died, and visitors were blamed for feeding them on the sand, which pigs can swallow. New rules ask people to feed them only in the water and not to give them alcohol or junk food.

The Exumas also hold the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, created in 1958 to protect reefs and islands. Divers explore Thunderball Grotto, seen in a James Bond film, swim with nurse sharks at Compass Cay and visit endangered rock iguanas on Allan's Cay.

What This Quiz Teaches

Animal fans will enjoy these questions.

Where the pigs live
Why they swim
How they may have arrived
Which rules protect them
Which other wildlife lives nearby

Did You Know?

Piglets are often born on the island.
Tour boats leave from Great Exuma and Nassau.
The water is shallow and clear around the cay.
Sea turtles are seen in nearby bays.
Sandbars appear and vanish with the tides.