Bay of Pigs

Bay of Pigs (Bay of Cochinos)

Bay of Pigs is located on the southern coast of Cuba, which faces the Caribbean Sea. In Spanish, the bay is called Bahía de Cochinos, which sounds like “Bay of Pigs”, but the name of the place is not actually related to animals. The Cochino is the king spinorogue, a tropical marine fish that inhabits the area. Unique coral reefs can be seen on the east side of the Bay of Pigs, and the Zapata Marsh is also found here. Hundreds of rare animals live freely in the area, including pink flamingos, Cuban crocodiles and pintail woodpeckers. Next to the Bay of Pigs is the village of Guama, a model of an Indian settlement with small huts built on tiny islets and connected by beautiful bridges. The Bay of Pigs attracts tourists because of the excellent diving opportunities.

Landing at the Bay of Pigs

On April 17, 1961, a landing party of 1,297 Cuban immigrants landed on Playa Chiron beach. These men had been trained by the CIA and were taken to the island on U.S. warships left adrift far from shore. A day earlier, American planes had bombed Cuban airfields. President Kennedy was opposed to the involvement of U.S. troops in the land action and the subsequent air strikes (denying any American involvement in the operation). Castro’s 20,000-strong army, supported by artillery and tanks, repelled the invasion in 65 hours. Some 1180 attackers were captured and later ransomed for food and medicine worth 53 million dollars. The victory dramatically raised Castro’s profile both at home and abroad. He soon declared Cuba a socialist state with a one-party political system.