Although the bay area is not richly endowed by nature, the landscape is impressive in its own right: scores of watchtowers - both Cuban and U.S. - mark the barren land and line the miles of metal fencing that separate the base from Cuban territory. On the U.S. side lies one of the densest mine fields in the world, with an estimated 735 acres containing 70,000 antipersonnel and antitank mines. In fact, it is not unheard of for wild animals inside the base to set off the explosives.
