Belle Isle is the southernmost of five salt domes forming a row along the coast of western Louisiana (northwestward they are White Castle, Weeks, Avery, and Jefferson), sometimes referred to as the “five islands.” Belle Isle is accessible only by boat, and has some ruins, as well as active solution salt mining. Cargill opened an underground salt mine here in 1962, 1,200 feet below sea level. In 1968, a fire in the mine killed 21 people. In 1979, five miners were killed in an explosion. In 1985 the mine was purposely flooded.