Relaxation, recreation and history - these
are all offered while on Ship Island. In the north central
Gulf of Mexico, about 11 miles off the Mississippi Coast, are some of
the last undeveloped barrier islands in America. 
Part of Gulf Islands
National Seashore and protected by the U.S. Park Service, these
exquisite sand islands offer visitors the first high quality beaches for
swimming and shelling east of New Orleans - only accessible by boat.
\
Fort Massachusetts, part of America's "third system" of coastal defense,
was built on Ship Island during the 1860's. Its purpose was to help protect the
southern United States from attacks by foreign navies. During the Civil
War, Ship Island served in the blockade of Confederate ports and the
invasion of New Orleans.
A boardwalk 1/3 of a mile long crosses from north shore to south shore.
The boardwalk's south end brings visitors to a beach on the Gulf of Mexico.
Watch for dolphins! Atlantic Bottle-nosed Dolphins are
frequently seen playing in the wake of the ferry boats, or feeding on mullet
and menhaden near the island beaches.
