The signature Exuma day happens on the water. The swimming pigs at Big Major Cay, a snorkel into Thunderball Grotto, nurse sharks at Compass Cay, and pale sandbars that appear with the tide are the experiences most first-time visitors come for. On land, the beaches, a water-taxi hop to Stocking Island, and a slow afternoon in George Town fill in the quieter days.
From Staniel Cay, the famous stops are close. From Great Exuma or Little Exuma, they are usually a full-day boat excursion. Book the water days first, then fill in the beaches. For help choosing a base, start with Where to Stay in Exuma.
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Our Favorite Captains
We’ve been to Exuma more than 25 times, and these are the local, Bahamian-run boat operators we keep going back to. They book directly, so reach out to them by phone, email, or their websites, and tell them Exuma by Design sent you.
Sugar Adventure Company
Captain Sugar runs trips out of Barraterre on Great Exuma. Options include a day trip up to Staniel Cay (Thunderball Grotto, the swimming pigs and private islands), a beach shore-lunch picnic, a Sandy Cay and Little Exuma tour from Elizabeth Harbour, and private half- or full-day charters. Prices are on request.
Visit Sugar Adventure Company · +1 242-524-8093 · info@sugaradventure.com
Island Boy Adventures
Based in George Town, Island Boy Adventures runs private charters: full- and half-day Elizabeth Harbour trips, Sandy Cay, swimming pigs tours, and a premium full day in the North Exuma Cays, plus extras like swimming with sharks and fishing.
Visit Island Boy Adventures · +1 242-422-2697 · islandboyadventures242@gmail.com
How a day on the water usually works
Most visitors join a guided tour or book a private charter. A typical full-day outing from Great Exuma heads north and combines several stops: the pigs, a grotto snorkel, a shark swim, an iguana beach, and a sandbar. Those distances mean real time on the boat — often stretches of an hour — so it is a long, sunny day. Half-day tours usually stay closer and may not reach every headline stop.
From Staniel Cay the same places feel more like a morning circuit, which is the main argument for basing in the cays if boat days are the point of the trip. Private charters cost more and give you control over pace and crowds; group tours are the simpler way to see a lot in one day.
Weather and tide matter more than a printed itinerary. Thunderball Grotto is best entered at lower tide, and sandbars come and go. A windy day can cancel a trip, so do not schedule your one must-do outing on the last morning. Check prices for Exuma Cays tours on Viator, or check prices on GetYourGuide. For a private boat, plan your trip with us.
Swimming pigs at Big Major Cay
Big Major Cay — often called Pig Beach — is the official home of Exuma’s swimming pigs, in the central cays near Staniel Cay. The island is uninhabited except for the pigs, and it is reachable only by boat. Official Bahamas tourism materials describe a small group of pigs that began the story in the early 1990s and have been famous ever since for swimming out to arriving boats.
It is a remarkable sight, and a wildlife encounter rather than a petting zoo. The pigs can be pushy when they expect food, and people are bitten when visitors get too close. Follow the crew’s instructions and give the animals space. Official guidance is to look, not to grab or chase the pigs.
From Great Exuma this is the long day; from Staniel Cay, Fowl Cay, or Compass Cay it can be a much shorter run. Book a reputable operator and confirm that the tour actually goes to Big Major Cay — some shorter trips visit other pig beaches closer to Great Exuma. Check prices on Viator, or check prices on GetYourGuide.
Thunderball Grotto
Thunderball Grotto is a natural limestone cave just west of Staniel Cay. You swim or snorkel in through an opening that is easiest to use at low tide; inside, the chamber is lit from above, with tropical fish in the clear water. The grotto takes its name from the James Bond film Thunderball, and it also appeared in Never Say Never Again.
This is not a casual wade from a beach. You should be a comfortable swimmer, able to snorkel in a slightly confined space. Currents outside the entrance can surprise people, so stay with the guide and go in when the tide is right. If conditions are wrong, a good operator will skip the grotto. Many full-day tours include it along with the pigs and Compass Cay. Check prices on Viator, or check prices on GetYourGuide.
Nurse sharks at Compass Cay
Compass Cay, north of Staniel Cay, is a popular marina stop on island-hopping itineraries. The draw is the nurse sharks that gather around the docks. They are generally described as docile, and tours often include time in the water near the marina. Compass Cay is a private island, and operators may note rules about photography and how close you can get.
Nurse sharks are still wild animals. Do not grab, ride, or feed them unless a guide has given clear, current instructions — and even then, distance is the wiser choice. This is a working marina, not a theme-park tank. If you want more than a tour stop, Compass Cay also has a few rental houses, described in our where to stay guide. Check prices for tours that include Compass Cay, or ask us about a private charter.
Sandbars, iguanas, and other cays stops
At low tide, sandbars lift out of the water in pale shelves. They are one of the great pleasures of an Exuma boat day, and they are also temporary. A skilled skipper will time the stop. Watch the returning water, and leave shells and live sand dollars where they are.
Endangered Bahamian rock iguanas are another regular stop. Tours from the Staniel Cay area often visit Leaf Cay, and some itineraries also call at Allan’s Cay. The animals are wild: do not offer them junk food, do not pick them up, and give them room on the beach.
Some tours also pass a small plane wreck in shallow water near Staniel Cay, a favorite snorkel photograph. If you want a less crowded day, say so when you book, or consider a private charter. Check prices for sandbar tours, or check prices on GetYourGuide.
Stocking Island, beaches, and a day in George Town
Not every good day requires a long run up the cays. From George Town, a short water taxi across Elizabeth Harbour reaches Stocking Island, where the beaches are excellent and Chat ’N’ Chill is a well-known beach bar. Stingrays often appear in the shallows; watch, do not chase, and follow any staff guidance.
On Great Exuma and Little Exuma, a rental car opens a quieter itinerary: Tropic of Cancer Beach, Coco Plum, Hooper’s Bay, and Emerald Bay, each described in our beaches guide. George Town itself rewards a slower walk around the harbor, and, if your dates coincide, the National Family Island Regatta, typically held in April. See Getting to Exuma for transfers.
Fishing
Exuma is a serious fishing destination as well as a snorkeling one. The shallow flats are known for bonefish, and guides take anglers out for a patient day of wading or skiff fishing. Offshore and reef charters go after a different catch; a good captain will tell you what is in season.
If fishing is the reason for the trip, book a guide before you arrive, especially in winter, and be clear about experience levels and the length of the day. Some villa and private-island stays can arrange fishing; Fowl Cay, for example, includes fishing gear in its official all-inclusive description. We can also introduce you to a local guide if you plan your trip with us.
One important limit: the Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park is a no-take reserve. Fishing, shelling, and conching are not permitted inside the park. If your charter will pass through, ask the captain how the day is routed.
Diving, snorkeling, and the Land and Sea Park
The water around Exuma is the main event, whether you snorkel off a beach, drift over a reef, or dive with a local shop. Conditions are usually clearest in the drier months, roughly late fall through spring, though operators work year-round as weather allows. The Atlantic hurricane season runs from June through November, when a flexible plan and travel insurance matter most. Check prices for travel insurance.
The Exuma Cays Land and Sea Park, established in 1958 and managed by the Bahamas National Trust, is the first marine reserve in The Bahamas and the wider Caribbean. It covers 112,640 acres of land and sea, with headquarters on Warderick Wells Cay, and is known for reefs, beaches, hiking trails, and wildlife. Visitors come by boat; there is no road in. Follow park rules, use official moorings where they are required, and leave fish, shells, and coral where they are.
If diving is a priority, contact a dive operator on Great Exuma or ask your host what they can arrange. For snorkeling, a cays tour that includes Thunderball Grotto is the usual first outing. Check prices on Viator, or check prices on GetYourGuide.
A few practical notes
- Be a confident swimmer for the grotto, the shark dock, and any open-water snorkel. Tell the operator if anyone in your group is not.
- The sun on a boat is stronger than it feels. Bring more protection than you think you need, and drink water.
- Wildlife encounters go wrong when people get grabby. Pigs can bite. Sharks, iguanas, stingrays, and turtles should be given space.
- Leave a weather buffer for the one outing you would be sorry to miss, and read the cancellation terms before you pay.
- If you want a private boat or a fishing guide, plan your trip with us.
Next: Best Beaches, Where to Stay, and Getting to Exuma.