The Legacy of Ship Island Excursions
Long before he ever held a captain’s license, before he ever stood at the helm, Louis Skrmetta was a boy leaning against a ferry rail, salt air in his face, watching his father and grandfather work. The Gulf rolled beneath him, Ship Island rose in the distance, and somewhere between the dock and the horizon, a quiet certainty took hold: this would be his life. Now, decades later, Skrmetta is not only living that promise—he’s planning the 100th anniversary of the very journey his grandfather, “Captain Pete,” first set in motion.
Ship Island Excursions began as a family-anchored seasonal business in 1926, but for Skrmetta, the story doesn’t start with a date. It begins with memories of mornings spent riding along beside his father, station wagon packed for the docks, and long days on the water that felt less like work and more like belonging. He grew up swimming off the ferry dock, fishing along the island’s edge, exploring Fort Massachusetts, and learning the rhythms of the Mississippi Sound long before he understood the weight of what his family had built. “I couldn’t ask for a better life as a kid,” Skrmetta said. “I was raised on the water.”
He earned his captain’s license at just 18 and has spent the last 50 years guiding boats across the same stretch of water he once watched with wide-eyed wonder. Now nearing 70, Skrmetta carries the dual titles of CEO and Chief Senior Captain—roles that reflect both responsibility and reverence for a legacy passed down through generations.
Rooted in Family
That legacy has never been carried by one person alone. For decades, Ship Island Excursions has been a family operation in the truest sense. Brothers worked their way up from deckhands. Cousins filled seasonal roles. Aunts ran snack bars, enforced rules, and handled whatever trouble wandered ashore. During the summer months, when school let out, family members showed up—because that’s how the business survived.
Seasonal operations are never easy, and the Skrmettas have weathered more than their share of storms. Hurricanes, oil spills, and shutdowns have forced the company to rebuild more than once. Having a ready-made workforce rooted in family made all the difference. “When you’re seasonal, you have to adapt,” Skrmetta said. “And family helped us do that.”
Over the years, he has also witnessed profound changes in the environment surrounding Ship Island. Fishing that was once abundant grew harder. Shrimp boats that once dotted the Sound became fewer. Storms reshaped the islands themselves. When Hurricane Camille split Ship Island in two, it marked a turning point—one eventually followed by restoration efforts that rejoined the land years later. And the Skmetta family has helped rebuild Fort Massachusetts more than once.
Today, Ship Island remains one of the last undeveloped Barrier Islands in the northern Gulf, protected as part of the Gulf Islands National Seashore. The experience of going there has become part of its magic. Dolphins often escort the boats.
The water turns clearer as the mainland fades. Visitors step onto the dock and see fish swimming below their feet—a small reminder of how different the island still is, even though it’s only an hour ride away.
For many, the trip is an affordable escape, an alternative to crowded beaches farther east. For Skrmetta, it is something deeper. It is stewardship. It is memory. It is watching generations of families make the jaunt to explore the island.
As Ship Island Excursions enters its 100th year, the celebration is just beginning. The 2026 season launched on March 14, with plans underway to mark the May 26 anniversary in ways that honor a century on the water—details that will unfold on social media in the months ahead. For now, the heart of the story remains the same—another boat easing away from the dock, cruising across the Sound. And somewhere along the rail, a child may be watching, arms folded, imagining what comes next as the tide keeps moving. And for the family that built this journey, it will always feel like coming home.
Ship Island Excursions
1040 23rd Ave. Gulfport, MS 39501
228.864.1014
msshipisland.com
