1958 Map of Petit Bois Pass

About this map

Dauphin Island anchors this coastal survey, showing the western edge of the landmass as it stood in the late 1950s with later revisions from the early 1980s. The map illustrates the narrow, shifting nature of the barrier islands where the Mississippi Sound meets the open Gulf of Mexico. Navigational hazards and the dynamic seafloor are emphasized by the presence of Wreckage located west of the main pass. The transition between the sound and the gulf is managed through Petit Bois Pass, a critical maritime corridor that highlights the ever-changing bathymetry of the Alabama coastline. The small notation for Dauphin marks a point of human presence on an otherwise exposed and sandy landscape, providing a specific point of reference for maritime history and coastal change.