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    Re-Opening Plans

    UPDATE:  As of this writing, we are unable to give a re-opening date.   Many factors are at play and as soon as we can we will update accordingly. 

    Harbour Safaris is re-opening after being closed due to the Covid-19 worldwide pandemic. As we plan our reemergence we would like to keep you up to date how we will move forward.  We have worked with and are following the guidelines from the Ministry of Tourism, and supplementing them with our own to keep our staff and guests as safe and happy as possible.

    Even before we closed, we have upgraded our fleet to remove the RIBS from service.  These boats have served us well as we started but we have outgrown them.  One was sold to IDEA, a rapid-response team in post-disaster situations such as Hurricane Dorian.

    We have all adjusted to life with social distancing, masks, PPE, cleanliness and hygiene.  These concepts will be formalized in policies and available for our guests to review.  Our staff will be properly educated and trained, be them our support staff or onboard crew.

    Our boats have always had smaller capacities designed to give a better tour experience, and we will keep this concept along with allowing space for various parties.  The boats will continue to be cleaned and maintained before and after each excursion, with additional cleaning between stops.

    We will continue to visit our favourite places including:

    • The Exuma Swimming Pigs
    • Meeks Patch & Spanish Wells
    • Rose Island
    • Highbourne Cay
    • Staniel Cay
    • Beaches and coves throughout the Exuma Cays

    Our convenient and private boarding location allows us more control and less crowding than public boarding areas.  We are still conveniently located near:

    • Atlantis
    • Paradise Island
    • Downtown Nassau
    • BahaMar
    • The Point
    • Nassau Cruise Ship Port
    • Sandals
    • Breezes
    • Most AirBNB’s are all a short taxi ride away

    We also look forward to offering new experiences throughout the Bahamas Islands.

    We thank you for your patronage and look forward to seeing you soon!

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    Booking System Update

    To all of our valued customers (past, present, and future!) please note that we are updating our booking system.  If you have any issues, please do not hesitate to reach out to our office at 242-394-8687 or email us at info@harboursafaris.com

    Our exquisite tour offerings remain the same:

    Exuma Swimming Pigs Tours
    Spanish Wells Full Day Tour
    Rose Island Half Day Tour

    Thank you for your patronage and we look forward to having you on board!

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    cerditos_chanchitos_cerdos_nadadores_en_pigbeach_pig_beach_isla_bahamas_exuma_nadar_harbor_safaris_6

    Viajar de a 2 explores with Harbour Safaris!

    This fun couple joined us back in May on two of our Harbour Safaris tours!

    To read excepts from their blog, see below:

    Rose Island Beach & Snorkel Tour

    Terminamos en Rose Island para disfrutar de un mar excepcionalmente celeste, snacks y cervezas locales. En pocas palabras: Relajo total, yo sé que tú te lo mereces.

    Exuma Swimming Pigs Excursion

    Existen varias teorías que explican por qué estos cerditos llegaron al medio de la nada, en una isla alejada de la civilización. A un paraíso exótico.  La más aceptada es que una embarcación los transportaba para luego comérselos. Los marinos los dejaron en la isla y volverían por ellos, pero naufragaron.  Sean cual sean sus raíces, ahí viven felices, libres y muy bien alimentados.

    A lo que vinimos: Pig Beach. Fuimos los primeros en llegar (estratégicamente nuestro tour programó llegar antes que otros operadores para que el grupo tenga más tiempo a solas con los chanchitos). Desembarcamos en una playa pequeña con unos 15 cerditos aproximadamente. Algunos en la arena, otros en el mar. Eso sí, ninguno quieto, todos de un lado para el otro. Unos locos.

     

    “Pig Beach”pig_beach_cómo_llegar_tips_bahamas_exuma_island_playa_cerdos_nadadores_chanchos

     

    Rose Island
    Isla-Rose-Island-Bahamas-nassau-_2

     

    To see the full articles, click on the below links:

    Cómo Llegar a Pig Beach: La Playa con Cerdos Nadadores en Bahamas  

    Qué Hacer en Bahamas en 4 Días – Itinerario, Costos y Tips

    Thinking of joining one of our Swimming Pigs tours or our Rose Island Beach and Snorkel Tour? Make sure you check-out our website for information and email us if you have any questions: info@harboursafaris.com

    We look forward to having YOU on board!

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    Harbour Safaris and BNT

    Harbour Safaris joins The Bahamas National Trust Rewardship Program

    Harbour Safaris is the newest Corporate Partner to join The Bahamas National Trust (BNT) Rewardship Program. BNT Members will now enjoy an exclusive discount when joining Harbour Safaris’ exciting tours.

    The Bahamas National Trust is a nonprofit, national park management of the Bahamas which is responsible for the protection of over 2 million acres of land and sea. Membership is a fundraising mechanism for the BNT, and the rewardship program invites corporate partners to extend discount services to card carrying members.

    The Member Rewardship Program provides benefits to BNT members at different establishments throughout The Bahamas. Joining the program was a natural fit, as Harbour Safaris already has a longstanding relationship with the National Trust. Harbour Safaris has provided the BNT with custom charters to Waderwick Wells, the headquarters of the Exuma Land and Sea Park, raffle prizes for their fundraisers, and just last year the crew participated in an informational wildlife class with the BNT. The course was offered as a sign of gratitude from the BNT for abiding to the Trust’s plea that tour operators and visitors do not feed the endangered iguanas in Exuma.

    Harbour Safaris is the only tour operator to not feed the iguanas. Using the knowledge gained from the BNT informational session, Head Captain Daron Whyms explains “often other operators or visitors will feed the iguanas grapes, which we learned actually brings up their sugar to a level too high for the species”. Tourists appreciate the respect for the environment that Harbour Safaris exhibits, along with their small group size and local knowledge of the Exuma Cays.

    Building on this strong relationship, Harbour Safaris was thrilled to join the Bahamas National Trust Corporate Rewardship Program. Operations Manager, Joanne Robertson said: “We really appreciate and admire all of the hard work the BNT does and we are happy to support them in their continued efforts. It’s an honour to be associated with such a positive organisation.”

    Harbour Safaris has a guest satisfaction rating of over 95% and recently won a 2017 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor. For more information on The Bahamas National Trust, please see their website: https://bnt.bs/

     

    Harbour Safaris Boat Tour

    Harbour Safaris Operations Manager Joanne Robertson & Bahamas National Trust Membership Officer Raquel Rolle in front of the the Harbour Safaris vessels Huntress (black) and Empress (red) at Bay Street Marina.

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    from Bahamas.com

    Nassau to Exuma – Best Ways to Travel

    You’ve booked your airline, reserved the hotel room, and are ready to settle down with a Goombay Smash and swim with the pigs on the pristine beaches of the Bahamas!

    Wait – you’re staying in Nassau?!?  The legendary swimming pigs make their home on Big Major Cay, which is in the Exuma Cays!

    How do you get from Nassau to Exuma?  Not to worry, we have the answers for you!

    • Take a pig beach excursion from Nassau to Exuma:
    • Fly away for the day to Staniel Cay:
      • You can hop aboard a small plane to fly to Staniel Cay, and spend the day loafing around the island and catch a ride a short hop over to Big Major to swim with the pigs
    • Fly to Georgetown and take a half-day adventure:
      • Flights from Nassau to Georgetown are plentiful, including on the national airline Bahamasair and smaller airlines such as SkyBahamas.  Once there, you can take a half day trip with one of the many operators, such as Exuma Water Sports, and be back in time for dinner!
      • Stay overnight or for the weekend at Grand Isle Resort or Sandals Emerald Bay and experience the friendly Family Island atmosphere!
    • Not so interested in the swimming pigs?  
      • Check out Powerboat Adventures for a top-notch all-inclusive tour to a private island in the northern Exumas!

    Nassau to Exuma Tours

     

    Featured image from Bahamas.com

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    Top Swimming Pig Tour Nassau

    Top Swimming Pig Tour from Nassau

    Harbour Safaris has received over 200 reviews on TripAdvisor, 78 reviews on Facebook, and over 400 reviews through our booking system!

    And we have an overwhelmingly positive result!  TripAdvisor maintains 5 Stars with a 98%+ positive rating, Facebook at 4.8/5 Stars and Peek Pro at 4.8/5 Stars.

    We are proud recipient of a TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence!

    What are the top reasons people love Harbour Safaris?

    • Swimming Pigs – self explanatory!
    • Customer Service – our full time office staff responds to inquiries and maintains relationships with our clients before and after their adventure!
    • Small Tour Size – our tours are typically 10-15 people, versus the “other guys” at 25+ per boat.
    • Crew – our knowledgeable, trained, and experienced crew provide an out-of-this-world experience on every trip!
    • Safety – our intimate tour size allows us to keep a close eye on all of our guests!

    What’s our guests only complaint?  Weather.  Unfortunately we cannot control the weather (we wish we could!) so we do have to reschedule at times.  Our great customer service staff will work with you and your itinerary to find a day that works or refund your tickets in full.

    Don’t just take our word for it – read our reviews online and search for us, you’ll quickly see we’re the original and number one swimming pig tour operator out of Nassau!

    A recent review of our Exuma Swimming Pigs tour:

    Wow wow wow!! The best experience of my life. We came to the Bahamas on the 4th September and landed to an email asking to bring the tour forward as Hurricane Irma was on the way for our original booking date, which of course we didn’t mind-this was my dream and nothing was stopping me. So firstly Darren and Shiv we absolutely brilliant throughout and made sure we was all ok. We got going and out first stop was to see the iguanas, which were pretty cool, then it was off to see the piggies…and I can’t even begin to tell you how amazing they are…it was everything and more than I ever expected, a real dream come true. They are incredible, and they are so looked after, I even had a little piggy cuddle up to me when I gave him a little ear rub. There was a big mumma ready to pop, so some of you will be so lucky to see he piglets….I could of actually spent all day there if I’m honest. We then went for lunch and to see the nurse sharks which was lovely, the food was delicious, and getting in the water with the sharks was so much fun. We then left and went on to a private beach…and OMG it was something out of this world…breath taking!!! I cannot recommend Harbour Safaris enough, the communication from when we booked with them up until the date we went was amazing and the tour was even better than I can describe. You really made my honeymoon one to remember, and I really hope to come back and do this all over again. – Steph

     

    Our newest tour, the Spanish Wells Day Away trip is also an amazing experience!

    My husband and I took the newer Spanish Wells/Pigs boat trip. It was a little bit shorter and less expensive than the trip to see the pigs in Exuma (which was sold out the week we were there). We had a blast! Swimming with the pigs was fun, even though I got a bite on my finger from one of the little guys. Use the sticks when feeding the pigs as they can easily mistake your finger for one of the turkey hot dogs! There was lovely beach on the other side of “pig island” which we also got to enjoy for a few minutes. Lunch at Wreckers in Spanish Wells was delicious! The three couples and our two captains were the only people there for lunch on this particular Tuesday. My BBQ chicken pizza was excellent (but huge)! After lunch we visited a sandbar and found some sand dollars! The colors of the water and sand could only be described as “otherworldly!” Paradise, indeed! We had a great trip with this company! – Courileigh, TripAdvisor

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    hurricanes irma and maria

    #HarbourSafaris is #OpenForBusiness

    There’s no doubt about it – 2017 has been a busy and anxiety-inducing Hurricane Season.

    For us in and around the Caribbean, Hurricane Irma and Maria wreaked particular havoc.

    Having said that, we in New Providence, and most of the Northern Bahamas Islands have been incredibly lucky throughout this very active hurricane season. In fact, all of the islands within Harbour Safaris operations were largely unaffected and have returned to business as normal, with little interruption.

    Hurricane season officially closes November 2nd, but don’t think you need to wait until then to visit us. We are currently taking bookings and running trips for our Exuma Swimming Pigs Excursions and, our recently launched, Spanish Wells Beach Pigs Excursions.

    Thank you all for your support and concern! We look forward to having you on board one day!

    ~The Harbour Safaris Team

     

    P.S. If you are looking for a way to donate to the hurricane relief of affected Caribbean countries, we are avid supporters of the work Rotary does. As a well known, world-wide charitable organisation, Rotary probably doesn’t need our vouch of confidence, but for what it’s worth, it’s who we trust our donations with:

    https://www.gofundme.com/rotary7020hurricanerelief

    https://www.rotary.org/en/rotary-helps-disaster-victims

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    Swimming Pigs of Spanish Wells

    New Spanish Wells Tour!

    Harbour Safaris is proud to introduce our new full-day excursion to Spanish Wells, Eleuthera!

    This amazing tour departs Nassau Harbour and includes fantastic stops, including one of the most beautiful sandbanks in the world!  Experience bright blue shallow water adjacent to dark blue deep water!  A truly unique experience!

    Spanish Wells Swimming PigsNo trip to Spanish Wells would be complete without stopping to see the amazing beach pigs on Meek’s Patch!  Swim and hang out with these fun little guys and sip an ice cold Sands Light while you wallow in the tranquil waters of the Bahamas!

    Enjoy lunch (included) in the quaint fishing town of Spanish Wells and listen to stories ranging from crawfishing to shipwrecks.  Hear about the Devil’s Backbone leading to the world renowned Harbour Island, the secluded home of the rich and famous!

    Book for Spanish Wells Now!

    Here’s what one of our first guests, Kim, had to say about the tour on TripAdvisor:

    I just did Harbour Safaris’ new trip to Spanish Wells, Bahamas and it was spectacular!! From the boat to the crew to the venues…I could not have had a better day! First stop was the sand flats for a picture perfect chill time. Lunch at Wreckers was amazing – every dish was raved about by all that were there. On to the swimming pigs for laughing and Awwww moments (the babies were adorable). Then to a secluded beach to just relax in my favorite blue waters. Thanks again, Harbour Safaris for being a highlight of my visit!

    Spanish Wells Swimming PigsSpanish Wells

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    Exuma Bahamas Viral Video

    Swimming Pig Promo Video Goes Viral!

    One of Harbour Safaris’ promotional videos has gone viral, thanks to Awesome Places in the World on Facebook!

    With over 110,000 views in under a week, the Bahamas and our top rated Swimming Pigs tour has been shared around the world.  The post has been liked almost 10,000 times and shared almost 5000 times.  Watch the full version of the video on YouTube and see why our tour is so amazing!

     

    Exuma Bahamas Viral Video

    To learn more, or to book one of our amazing swimming pig tours from Nassau, follow this link:

    Swim with the Pigs!

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    Top Rated TripAdvisor Tours Nassau

    Harbour Safaris wins TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence 2017

    Harbour Safaris today announced that it has received a TripAdvisor® Certificate of Excellence. Now in its seventh year, the achievement celebrates hospitality businesses that have earned great traveler reviews on TripAdvisor over the past year.

    I’m extremely proud of the team we’ve built in less than two years. We have grown from a one-boat operation to having 3 boats, 6 full-time staff, and a retail location. We are currently expanding our offerings and developing new tours. Our customer service is second to none, which is reflected in our rise to one of the top-rated boat excursions in Nassau” said Lee McCoy, President of Harbour Safaris.

    TripAdvisor is excited to announce the recipients of the 2017 Certificate of Excellence, which celebrates hospitality businesses that have consistently received strong praise and ratings from travelers,” added Heather Leisman, Vice President of Industry Marketing, TripAdvisor. “This recognition allows us to publicly honor businesses that are actively engaging with customers and using feedback to help travelers identify and confidently book the perfect trip.”

    The Certificate of Excellence accounts for the quality, quantity and recency of reviews submitted by travelers on TripAdvisor over a 12-month period. To qualify, a business must maintain an overall TripAdvisor bubble rating of at least four out of five, have a minimum number of reviews and must have been listed on TripAdvisor for at least 12 months.

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