Block Island’s Quirky Ferry Farewell Has Tourists Talking

Every summer on Block Island comes to a cheeky close with one of the island’s strangest and most enduring traditions: mooning the last ferry as it heads back to the mainland.

A Salute to Tourists

For years, locals and seasonal workers have lined the rocky jetty at Old Harbor to drop their shorts and give departing tourists a not-so-subtle goodbye. What may look like mischief is actually rooted in camaraderie.

Block Island local John Marshall summed it up best:

“I am a ‘local’ because I live here, but I will never be an ‘islander.’ From what I understand, the tradition goes way back and it is usually made up of all the servers of the restaurants who were really tired of putting up with all the tourists. So it is kind of a salute to the last boat of tourists," he said.

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End-of-Summer Release

For the restaurant and bar staff who work tirelessly through the bustling tourist season, the ritual is less about disrespect and more about release to mark the end of another busy summer.

READ MORE: Block Island Is Home to the Largest and Booziest Mudslide Ever

The timing is everything: it happens as the last ferry of the day makes its way out of Old Harbor, with passengers getting an unexpected send-off.

A Tradition That Lives On

While not officially sanctioned, it’s a final memory of Block Island visitors won’t soon forget. For locals, it’s a well-earned exhale after months of nonstop summer chaos.

As long as tourists keep flocking to Block Island, chances are this bare-bottomed tradition will keep making waves.