Pigging Out At No Name Cay

The Exumas Staniel Cay (long famous for its swimming pigs) has some competition. No Name Cay, just south of Green Turtle, is home to a small collection of feral pigs living on a section of the beach, locally known as Piggyville. And, as it’s only a short sail from Green Turtle Marina, we paid them a visit.

We dropped our anchor just off No Name Cay and launched the dinghy to go ashore. And as soon as we stepped on the beach, a collection of sandy snouts greeted us searching for food.

These happy hogs have no formal owner, and no one knows how they came to be here. Some think they were put here to attract tourists; some think they were brought here to hunt later. But whatever the reason, Craig Russell, known locally as The Pig Whisperer, has saved their bacon by creating this little piggy paradise in the Abacos. They have abundant water thanks to the donation of a large water tank. And donated food is brought here twice a week by Craig, supplemented by whatever the visitors bring along. And they – both the pigs and visitors – seem as happy as pigs in sand.

Piggyville

We trotted around the beach for half an hour or so, mixing it with the herd and taking photographs, before heading back to Lady Jane. We didn’t think No Name Cay would be a great overnight anchorage for us. Besides, there’s a lot of chop. So we headed to Settlement Harbour where we spent the night just off the town quay in the less-feral company of three other boats.