Mobile Bay Ferry — Dauphin Island Landing

The ferry brings vehicles and pedestrians to Dauphin Island from Fort Morgan in Gulf Shores, crossing Mobile Bay near waters where Admiral David Farragut supposedly spoke the phrase "Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead" — just a few hundred yards from Dauphin Island's shore during the Battle of Mobile Bay. Fort Gaines sits on the eastern tip of the island, built between 1821 and 1848, occupied by Confederate forces in 1861, and captured by the Union Army during that battle.

The crossing itself carries older history. Before a channel was dredged, Mobile Bay was too shallow and its sandbars too treacherous for ocean-going vessels to travel up the bay and Mobile River to Fort Louis de La Louisiane. Smaller boats carried cargo between Dauphin Island and the mainland — the island served as a major trading depot where goods from Saint-Domingue, Mexico, Cuba, and France were unloaded, and a short-lived fur trade was conducted. The French established a port here for its abundant timber, reliable supply of fresh water, and deep-water harbor. The settlement consisted of a fort, a chapel, government-owned warehouses, and residences.

Near the ferry dock sits the Estuarium, a freshwater and saltwater aquarium highlighting species native to Alabama. The island beyond stretches fifteen miles east to west — the eastern, wider portion shaded by thick stands of pine trees and saw palmettos, the narrow western part featuring scrub growth and few trees. Because Dauphin Island is the first land encountered by many birds migrating north from South America, the 164-acre Audubon Bird Sanctuary draws species resting before continuing their journey.