Dauphin Island Ferry

Dauphin Island's resources offer a convenient, enjoyable field trip (Sampling ...

DAUPHIN ISLAND, Alabama - It had been many years since I had been to Dauphin Island in our neighboring state of Alabama. What I had remembered was a beach of plentiful, sugar-white sand, rolling dunes, a good surf like that of our own barrier islands, a small residential community and a long bridge providing access from the mainland.

On this hot second Saturday of June, those memories proved valid. Since 1982, the island is accessed by a 2½-mile causeway and a 3-mile bridge. All else was there too, but, to my delight, so much more had been added.

Dauphin Island is a town of more than 1,000 permanent residents with its own government, churches, fire and police departments and public works. Its Chamber of Commerce boasts of "no traffic lights," accommodations ranging from RV campsites to spacious condos, golfing and bountiful fishing opportunities.

This day trip, taken along with friends Gayle and Josh Manning of Ocean Springs, was enjoyable as much for the fellowship as for lessons learned about island history and marine life. Our focus was on The Estuarium and historic Fort Gaines , both located at the eastern end of the island.

First stop though was shopping at The Ancient Mariner gift shop on the western part of the island, followed by lunch at The Common Loon Cafe located in the center. Then we cooled off in the air-conditioned aquarium at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab , called The Estuarium.

This facility educates the young and old alike with gripping visual displays, interactive exhibits and live aquariums featuring the native habitats of the Mobile Bay Estuary which encompasses the Delta, Bay, Barrier Islands and Gulf of Mexico.

Young children are drawn to appropriately themed play areas located in the 10,000-square-foot Exhibit Hall. Interpretive signage provides more detailed information about the natural history of the Alabama marshes and geography of the area.

Admission to The Estuarium is nominal. Group admission rates may be arranged by reservation. It is open from Mar. 1 to Aug. 31, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Monday through Saturday and noon to 6 p.m. on Sunday. From Sept. 1 to Feb. 28, closing times for all seven days is at 5 p.m.

After enjoying the Sea Lab, we drove across the street to Fort Gaines, braving the heat and seeking refuge at times in the shade or in the air-conditioned gift shop and separate fort museum. For those who mind the heat, a visit to the fort may be more enjoyable in the fall or spring. It is open every day except Christmas, Christmas Eve and Thanksgiving.

Dauphin Island Ferry Ride, Alabama « Travelwade

In other words, it was fun!

The ferry system runs between Fort Morgan, Alabama to Dauphin Island, Alabama across the Mobile Bay. We took the ferry to Dauphin Island to meet up with Chris’s mom who was camping there for her birthday. We had forgotten to check the ferry times before we left the house and when we arrived at the point of departure, we watched the ferry pulling away having departed mere minutes earlier… So we got to sit and wait for an hour and a half before it returned.

As we waited we sat near the waters edge and gazed out into the bay at the multitude of gas rigs. There were boats constantly buzzing between the rigs. We guessed that the boats were probably delivering supplies to these rigs. We also watched the departed ferry get smaller and smaller as it made its way slowly across the bay.

More people started to arrive at the loading dock and we watched a variety of characters. We saw several Harley Davidson Bikers all talking French, some people playing fetch with their dog, and a few aggravated people who could not decide if they wanted to wait for the ferry or not. We even had a couple ask us “What is there to do on Dauphin Island”. We replied “There is a fort and it is a great place for bird watching”.

The boat finally arrived and we proceeded to load up. We noticed how the water was a bit choppy and that the waves were becoming bigger. Dev started to have second thoughts since she gets seasick, but we continued anyway.

It took a few minutes for everyone to load up on the boat. The “Money Collector” made his way between all the cars collecting the fees and as soon as that was done, we got out and found the best location to be during the ride. There are two elevated standing platforms and we climbed up to one to wait out our journey.

The Ferry slowly moved away from the dock and we were on our way. By now the waves were really starting to tumble. There was a few unfortunate people who decided to stay on the lower deck near the edge of the boat. They got soaked when the ferry slammed into a few of the larger waves.

Along with getting closer to a few of the gas rigs and seeing some shadowy figures working, a few birds decided to join us for our trip. They would glide down beside the boat, and a few of them caught a ride. It is not unusual for lots of birds to be seen on Dauphin Island since it is one of the first islands migrating birds come to after crossing the Gulf.

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