Thinking Twice Before You Take a Dip With the Bahamas' Swimming Pigs

Swimming with the pigs in the Bahamas has long been featured on bucket lists, Instagram feeds, and cruise line excursion menus. Wading into crystal-clear turquoise waters alongside wild pigs seems like the ultimate tropical photo op. However, beneath those charming social media posts lies a growing list of health risks, animal welfare concerns, and now, high-profile legal trouble.

The Latest Warning: A Cruise Line Lawsuit

If you still need convincing to think twice before booking, a recent lawsuit serves as a major cautionary tale.

In August 2026, a New York passenger named Jason Gordon filed a federal maritime personal injury lawsuit against Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL) in a Miami federal court. Gordon was sailing aboard the Norwegian Escape when he booked the popular "Swim with the Pigs" excursion at NCL’s private island, Great Stirrup Cay.

According to the complaint:

• The Attack: While interacting with the animals in the water as instructed, one of the pigs unexpectedly clamped down on Gordon’s leg, causing severe puncture wounds and lacerations.

• Medical Complications: Upon returning home, Gordon required emergency medical treatment, including sutures, IV antibiotics, and a painful series of post-exposure rabies vaccines and immune globulin shots.

• The Allegations: The lawsuit alleges that NCL failed to warn passengers of the known risks—including aggressive animal behavior, biting, and disease transmission. It claims the cruise line failed to implement basic safety protocols or properly supervise the animal interactions.

Beyond the Bites: Health Hazards & Unsanitary Conditions

Gordon's case isn't an isolated incident. Wild or semi-wild animals can become aggressive and unpredictable when food is involved. Beyond physical bites, there are significant health hazards that cruise marketing rarely highlights:

• Bacterial Infections: Pigs defecate directly into the shallow waters where tourists swim. Exposure to swine urine and feces in the water puts swimmers at risk for dangerous bacterial infections like Leptospirosis, waterborne parasites, and severe skin infections.

• Prior Incidents: Over the years, tourists—including celebrities and influencers—have suffered pig bites. Others have reported long-term parasitic infections and flesh-eating bacterial complications following pig-swimming excursions in the region.

The Ethics of the Attraction

The safety of human visitors isn't the only issue; animal welfare advocates have long criticized these tours. Many of these pigs live on small cays without natural fresh water sources, relying entirely on tour operators for food and care. Over-tourism, sunburn, constant ingestion of processed human food, and ingestion of sand during feeding frenzy situations raise serious ethical questions about how these animals are treated.

The Bottom Line

While standard liability waivers are meant to cover basic excursion risks, lawsuits like Gordon’s highlight a growing push for transparency regarding the real dangers of these encounters.

If you are planning a trip to the Bahamas, consider enjoying the pristine beaches, world-class snorkeling, and local culture without wading into waters contaminated by untamed animals. Some photo ops just aren't worth the ER visit.