Live Local: Ship Island Excursions

For this week’s Live Local, News 25’s Lorraine Weiskopf shares the history of how one family started the popular tourist attraction Ship Island Excursions.

Ship Island Excursions, the ferry service transferring people to and from Mississippi’s Barrier Islands since the 1920s, began with the same family that operates it today. “It started with my grandfather. He arrived from Croatia in 1903 to work in the shrimp and oyster business down here on the Coast that was booming at the time.” Captain Louis Skrmetta recounts how his grandfather, Peter Skrmetta better known as Captain Pete, got into the industry. He was an immigrant from Croatia that came to the Coast when he was only 18 years old to shrimp and dredge for oysters, that was until he found something much more profitable. “He found he could make more money transferring people to the island rather than hauling oysters and shrimp and it started as a family business of course.”

He made a deal with a local businessman and started ferrying people on his own boat to a casino resort on the island. The first boat set sail in the late 1920s, a time in America when people loved to party. “This was during the Jazz Age, the Roaring 20s. They were going out to what they call the twelve-mile limits where alcohol and gambling was actually allowed.”

Although the party eventually died out like the age of Jazz as the island sank into the Gulf of Mexico because of man-made and natural causes.  Captain Pete then brought the eastern side of the island, turning it into his own resort and once again ferrying people out. “My grandfather turned the business to my father in the late 50s. It’s a family business. We have a lot of Skrmetta cousins that have worked in this business and contributed to its longevity.”

It is still family operated, even Robert, the son of Captain Louis, takes part in the trade. “It never gets old. In the winter time, I find myself going out there on my own boat. I never get tired of Ship Island.”

Ship Island was damaged during last year’s hurricane season and is still under repairs and excursions to the island are on hold. The island is expected to reopen to the public in late June.