Exumas with kids: pigs, nurse sharks, Thunderball Grotto and where to base

A family trip to the Exumas comes down to a base and two or three stops. This page covers the three stops that involve animals or snorkeling, what children may and may not do at each, what a family day trip costs, and how the usual bases differ. More trip planning is in the plan section.

Is Exuma good for kids?

The Bahamas Ministry of Tourism describes the pigs as docile creatures¹, calls the Compass Cay nurse sharks docile¹ and calls Thunderball Grotto a thrill for all ages¹. The three stops below are the ones that draw families. Ask each tour operator about age limits before you book.

Can kids swim with the pigs at Big Major Cay?

Big Major Cay is uninhabited, and the pigs are not native to the island¹. The cay is only accessible by boat². Staniel Cay Adventures puts Pig Beach less than a five-minute boat ride from Staniel Cay².

Swimming with the pigs costs nothing once you arrive on Pig Beach, but the boat or tour fare is extra². For questions about the pigs, call The Exumas Tourist Office at (242) 336-2457¹. The full guide is Big Major Cay and the swimming pigs, and how to visit the pigs responsibly covers what to bring.

What can children feed the pigs?

Bring fresh fruit¹. A trough on the beach is the designated place to feed the pigs, so they do not swallow excess sand or salt water¹. Children should feed at the trough and keep to the one rule the Ministry of Tourism gives visitors: look but don’t touch⁴.

The Ministry’s tour write-up adds that the pigs are so accustomed to visitors that they think nothing of it⁷.

Can kids swim with the nurse sharks at Compass Cay?

Visitors can swim alongside the nurse sharks or pet their skin when the sharks swim up to the dock at high tide¹. At high tide the sharks come up on the dock as if to soak up the sun⁴. Compass Cay Marina is the stop where visitors swim with the nurse sharks⁶.

Staniel Cay Adventures describes the sharks as 7.5 to 9.75 feet long, weighing up to 300 pounds⁸. Its Norman’s Cay tour page lists $10 per person to swim with the pet sharks among the cash to bring⁹.

On the Ministry’s own tour, the group spent 30 minutes with the pigs and then went on to Compass Cay, where scores of nurse sharks gathered around them to be petted on their sandpaper-like skin⁷. Plan for tide, not clock: the sharks come to the dock at high tide⁴. See Compass Cay and its nurse sharks.

Is Thunderball Grotto safe for children?

Thunderball Grotto is an underwater cave system that suits snorkeling, diving and wading, and the Ministry of Tourism calls it a thrill for all ages^5,1. It sits just west of Staniel Cay⁵, and Staniel Cay Adventures puts it about two minutes from the cay by boat². The entrance is small and almost hidden⁵.

Tide decides how easy it is. The Ministry advises entering at ebb tide, meaning low or slack tide, when snorkel gear is optional⁵. At high tide, diving equipment is necessary⁵. High tide also keeps the cave entrance hidden, and reaching the inside is a challenge⁴. Ask your operator for the tide time on your day, and check who can go in. More at Thunderball Grotto.

The cave takes its name from the James Bond film that shot a scene there in the early 1960s¹⁰.

How much does a family day trip cost?

Swimming with the pigs is free once you arrive, and the boat or tour is the cost². Staniel Cay Adventures lists its Nassau excursion at $700, and children 9 and under pay only the flight, $265³. Its Norman’s Cay tour page lists $10 per person to swim with the pet sharks⁹. For the full comparison of day-trip options, see the Nassau day trip to the Exumas.

Which part of Exuma is best for a family?

Great Exuma is where most large hotels and resorts are, as well as Exuma International Airport⁶. The airport serves Great Exuma, including George Town, directly from Nassau¹⁵. Stocking Island, across the harbour from George Town, offers a handful of secluded resorts⁶. Grand Isle Resort’s Hummingbird Hut offers daily adventures for kids¹². Peace & Plenty’s George Town hotel has 35 rooms, and it runs five island cottages on Stocking Island¹³.

Little Exuma is connected to Great Exuma by bridge, so no boat is needed to reach Tropic of Cancer Beach¹⁵. Coco Plum Beach is dotted with palms that provide shaded areas, and bahamas.com calls it ideal for picnicking¹⁴. For the harbour side, see Stocking Island.

Staniel Cay is accessible by boat and by air, via the Staniel Cay Airport⁶. It is the short-hop base: Pig Beach is under five minutes away by boat and Thunderball Grotto about two minutes². The Staniel Cay Yacht Club lists snorkeling, kayaking and paddleboarding among its activities¹¹. Nurse sharks and rays glide through the waters below its porch¹¹.

Staniel Cay sits roughly 75 miles south of Nassau². For the link between the two bases, see George Town to Staniel Cay, and for hotels see where to stay in the Exumas and Staniel Cay.