Today, Cayo Levantado (which means "raised cay") in the Bay of Samana is popular with visitors. But there was a day in 1690 when it was the scene of a fierce battle between pirates and the British navy.
Jack Bannister, a famous English pirate, was anchored in Samana Bay with 2 vessels. When a lookout reported that 2 British frigates that had been looking for him were approaching, he ordered the men to move the guns from the 2 ships to Cayo Levantado.
It was a smart move. Although the entrance to Samana Bay is wide, much of it is blocked by reefs and shallows. The only entry is an approximately one-mile wide channel between the north shore of Samana Peninsula and Cayo Levantado.
In the fierce battle which ensued, more than 120 of the British sailors were killed and their ships severely damaged. However, the victors also paid a price--one of Bannister's 2 ships was sunk.
When the approximately 200 pirates realized they would be stranded unless the got aboard the remaining vessel, the smaller of the two, they panicked. In the stampede to be one of the 80 that the ship could accommodate, a large number died from drowning or from knife or bullet wounds.
As a result of the battle and its aftermath, the island and its smaller neighbor became known as Banister Cays.
Jack Bannister, a famous English pirate, was anchored in Samana Bay with 2 vessels. When a lookout reported that 2 British frigates that had been looking for him were approaching, he ordered the men to move the guns from the 2 ships to Cayo Levantado.
It was a smart move. Although the entrance to Samana Bay is wide, much of it is blocked by reefs and shallows. The only entry is an approximately one-mile wide channel between the north shore of Samana Peninsula and Cayo Levantado.
In the fierce battle which ensued, more than 120 of the British sailors were killed and their ships severely damaged. However, the victors also paid a price--one of Bannister's 2 ships was sunk.
When the approximately 200 pirates realized they would be stranded unless the got aboard the remaining vessel, the smaller of the two, they panicked. In the stampede to be one of the 80 that the ship could accommodate, a large number died from drowning or from knife or bullet wounds.
As a result of the battle and its aftermath, the island and its smaller neighbor became known as Banister Cays.
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