Tourists return to Grand Isle

The holiday weekend was a big one in Grand Isle and shows a revival has occurred in the coastal community. The little island’s economy took a beating last summer, when the BP oil spill kept shrimpers dockside and repelled tourists from coastal areas. But this summer things seem to be getting back to normal on Grand Isle as both tourists and the fish are back. Over the long Independence Day weekend, it looked like old times, with oil-free beaches open and fishermen cleaning big catches. Businesses that had closed because of the spill last year, or that had seen their profits plummet, were eager to welcome visitors back. Gil Hildebrand cleaned about a dozen speckled trout, throwing scraps over the dock for the watchful seagulls to fight over. “The fish are back. It’s on now,” he says. “It’s like it was in the past.” Grand Isle has been a favorite vacation destination for Hildebrand, who is recently retired from construction business. For months, a different kind of crowd had packed the island. Hotels and many of the colorful camps—with names like It’s Our Dream and Makin’ Waves—that line La. 1 were rented out to work crews; the beaches were closed, and response vehicles packed the only highway in and out. Now, all the island’s beaches are open to the public, including neighboring Elmer’s Island. Fourchon Beach remains closed while oil-spill cleanup continues.