Photographer catches gorgeous snaps of the 'swimming pigs of the Bahamas' taking a dip

With the mercury set to rise across the UK, plenty of people will be hoping they can take a dip like these famous ‘swimming pigs of the Bahamas’.

These fun pictures of the unusual pigs were taken by photographer Emmanuel Keller, 39, at the famous ‘Pig Beach’ on the island of Exuma in the Bahamas.

The island is uninhabited by humans but takes its unofficial name because of the colony of pigs that swim off its shores.

Photographer catches pictures of the 'swimming pigs of the Bahamas' taking a dip
Swimmers – the pigs are famous for their watery wanderings around the Bahamas (Pictures: SWNS)

It’s not known how they arrived on the island as they are not native to the region, but they are often seen frolicking in the crystal clear water around the islands.

Emmanuel, who captured the cute creatures mid-swim, said they pigs love to cool off in the water when it’s hot.

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He said: “I think they really enjoyed it playing in the water. When they were swimming it looked like they were doing it pretty well.

“They were all quite active and really enjoyed the attention of people. They especially liked it when they were getting food like carrots and bread. They kept running in and out of the water.”

Photographer catches pictures of the 'swimming pigs of the Bahamas' taking a dip
Playful – the pigs frolic in the sea and enjoy treats from tourists

The island is a popular tourist trap, with high profile visitors including Wayne Rooney and Kim Kardashian.

But its popularity has not always been good news for the swimming pigs, with several reported to have died after tourists are thought to have fed them beer and rum.

Photographer catches pictures of the 'swimming pigs of the Bahamas' taking a dip
Cooling off – the pigs like to take a dip to escape from the heat

Cooling off is certainly something we’re hoping we’ll need in the UK over the next few months after forecasters predicted a three-month heatwave, although we later found out that it might not be happening.

Last week, temperatures in London and Cambridge were hotter than the Bahamas at a scorching 25c – the hottest day of the year so far.