Founded in 1786 by Joseph Bouzage (Bosarge), Bayou La Batre was incorporated in 1955. In this seafaring town, the local seafood industry became the centerpiece for the Discovery Channel series Big Shrimping. The city was also featured in the 1994 film Forrest Gump and in the book on which it is based. In 2005, Disney Studios launched the pirate ship Black Pearl, which was built here for the film.