Caribbean Pigs Take a Dip

By Paul Ciampanelli Jul 24th 2009

What's happier than a pig in.. well, you know...? How about a porker in the ocean?

Bunches of feral pigs have become a common sight on the island of Big Major Spot in the Bahamas. Friendly and cute, the gregarious pigs have locals and tourists going hog wild when they decide to go for a swim. We guess there's no need to roll around in mud and filth in order to cool off when you live on the shores of a crystal clear sea. The sight of swimming swine is so entertaining that the piggies are becoming a tourist attraction in and of themselves.

The people keep the pigs coming back for more too. "Because locals bring food, the pigs will run into the water and actually swim out to the oncoming boats," underwater photographer Eric Cheng told the UK's Daily Mail. "It is strange enough to see pigs laying around on tropical beaches of white sand, but to see them charge into the water to greet oncoming boats is just bizarre."

Cheng and his team -- who had come to the island to photograph sharks and stumbled upon the porcine phenomenon quite unexpectedly -- took to the sea for a special photography session with the snorkeling porklings. The pigs had no problem cozying up to the camera; they're real hams!