Dauphin Island has landed a spot among the ten best islands in the country, according to the results of a national readers’ poll that pitted the small Gulf Coast community against some of the nation’s most popular vacation destinations.
The island came in seventh place overall, a result Mayor Jeff Collier called both an honor and a genuine accomplishment given the caliber of competition. Collier said he was initially just glad to see the island included among the original list of twenty nominees, but seeing it rise to seventh among readers nationwide underscored how much the community means to the people who visit and live there.
The poll’s organizers highlighted several of the island’s signature attractions in explaining its appeal, including its bird sanctuary, its role along the Alabama Coastal Birding Trail, and the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and Estuarium, where visitors can learn about the freshwater and saltwater species native to Alabama’s Gulf Coast waters. The island has long been known among birders and nature enthusiasts as a critical stopover point for migratory species crossing the Gulf of Mexico.
First place in the national poll went to Puerto Rico, a reminder of just how broad the competition was across island destinations of vastly different size and scope. Still, Collier said landing in the top ten alongside such well-known locations speaks to the unique character of the small barrier island community, often referred to locally as the sunset capital of Alabama.
Collier said the recognition should be a point of pride for everyone along Alabama’s Gulf Coast, not just island residents, and reinforces the importance of protecting the natural resources that make the island a draw for visitors in the first place. Local officials have often pointed to conservation efforts, from dune restoration to wildlife protection programs, as key to preserving the very qualities that keep drawing outside recognition to the island.
For a community that has weathered hurricanes, oil spill impacts and repeated erosion challenges over the years, the national ranking offers a welcome bit of good news and a reminder of why so many visitors keep returning to its beaches, marshes and wildlife areas year after year.