Truth be told, I can’t remember the first time I met Richie Moretti. I know it was pre-1985.

Television nature host Jack Hanna (left} and Hanna's wife Suzi help Richie Moretti examine a loggerhead sea turtle. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

He had a small “Mom and Pop” motel in Marathon called Hidden Harbor. Richie and his girlfriend, Tina Brown, had begun filling the motel’s saltwater-fed pool with fish. There were tarpon, snappers, jacks, triggerfish, a small goliath grouper, Florida lobsters and a blowfish that followed Richie as he walked around the pool’s perimeter.

I asked why.

“Because I like getting up in the morning and going swimming with the fishes,” Richie replied.

I shook my head in wonderment — but what the heck. Even back then, I had begun to understand that the Florida Keys are a place of character and characters. Certainly Richie was (and still is!) a character.

One day he called me to say he was trying to get a Fish and Wildlife permit to keep a sea turtle. Again, I asked why.

Richie (center) displays a proclamation honoring The Turtle Hospital on its 25th anniversary. Shown with him are Florida Keys Mayor Pro Tem David Rice and Mayor Heather Carruthers. (Photo by Larry Benvenuti, Florida Keys News Bureau)

“We’re bringing in school groups now to teach kids the importance of preserving their marine environment,” Richie said. “I’ve had several requests to see one, because of this new cartoon that’s out there.”

I said he must mean the “Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

“Yeah, that’s it,” he agreed. “Those martial arts-fighting reptiles.”

Richie got his first turtle and then another.

Later, someone called to report a turtle that had been hit by a boat.

“Bring it here,” said Richie. “I’ll take care of it.”

Now, you must understand that Richie had no veterinary experience. He made his money in Orlando restoring Volkswagen Beetles. But that didn’t stop him. He managed to convince local vets to help out.

In September 1986, The Turtle Hospital was born.

One day, Richie was brought a turtle that had hideous cauliflower-like tumors over its head and flippers. He tried to find out what the problem was, but no one knew.

Sandy, shown here, was flown in to be treated at The Turtle Hospital after being injured by wild dogs. Eventually she was released back into her home territory.

He did learn that sea turtles around the world were washing up on shorelines with the same disease. Determined to do something about it, Richie contacted the University of Florida School of Veterinary Medicine. Vets there agreed to begin a research project.

Several years later the disease was identified as fibropapilloma, a herpes-like virus. It was discovered that, in many cases, the tumors could be removed and the turtles released back into the wild.

A place to do surgery was needed, so Richie purchased Fanny’s, a closed-down strip club next to his motel. He used his own money to gut the place and build a surgical suite, examination room, commons area, classroom and an upstairs apartment for visiting vets. The one item that didn’t get torn down was the dance pole in the middle of the building.

Since its opening, the hospital has treated and rehabilitated more than 1,200 sick or injured sea turtles and assisted tens of thousands of hatchlings gone astray after exiting their nests.

Sara, "the world's luckiest sea turtle," undergoes a final checkup by Richie (right) and other Turtle Hospital staff members before her release. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Among the most memorable patients was Kincaid, a sick 80-pound loggerhead sea turtle that managed to find its own way to the hospital. Kincaid swam near a dock just 20 feet from the hospital’s rehabilitation pools for several hours without leaving. Upon close examination, staff determined he had a bacterial infection, treated him and released him 10 weeks later.

It was a lucky coincidence that Kincaid found The Turtle Hospital. But one thing’s for sure: turtles don’t need health insurance when they come in. Each gets treated.

Turtles have arrived from all over the eastern seaboard and Caribbean. Sandy flew in on an American Airlines jet after getting attacked by wild dogs on a Virgin Islands beach. Less than a year later she was flown back, good as new, and released to lay her eggs.

Not long ago, Richie and everyone at The Turtle Hospital celebrated a very special moment. A loggerhead turtle named Sara was released, less than six weeks after she arrived with a diver’s spear in her head.

Former President Jimmy Carter (left) grins delightedly as he holds a juvenile green sea turtle at Marathon's Turtle Hospital. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Why anyone would want to do that is unfathomable. Loggerheads are endangered and federally protected. People in the Keys are not happy. They’ve raised a reward of more than $16,000 in cash, plus complimentary services — like eight hours of welding — for the tipster who provides information leading to the arrest and conviction of the imbecile that launched the spear into Sara’s head.

“This has to be one of the luckiest turtles in history,” said Doug Mader, the fulltime volunteer vet who works with the hospital’s staff of 12. “The spear went in just behind the ear, crisscrossed over the windpipe and lodged against the jaw on the other side. Quarter of an inch in either direction and that animal would be dead.”

Education remains a priority at The Turtle Hospital and tours are offered daily at 10 a.m., 1 p.m. and 4 p.m., with tour fees funding ongoing treatment programs.

Many famous folks have visited the hospital — including former President Jimmy Carter, who toured in 2010 and helped release a recovered turtle.

I watched in amazement as President Carter hung on Richie’s every word as he was shown the facility. He was unbelievably interested in the entire operation.

Jimmy Carter (right) and Richie help carry Danger, the loggerhead sea turtle, just before Danger's release. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

I credit that to Richie. He cares so much about sea turtles, and that concern is so infectious, that it’s impossible to walk away without getting “the fever.”

Recently, Florida Keys county commissioners declared Sept. 24, 2011, to be “Richie Moretti and The Turtle Hospital Day,” honoring 25 years of serving the marine environment.

“I don’t have grandchildren,” Richie told the commissioners. “These turtles are my grandchildren.”

No doubt about that.

Topics: Animal Ambassadors, Local Color, Marathon, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

Imagine yourself dressed as a vibrant-hued fish with sequined scales and gauzy fins, “swimming” down a street lined with beautiful Victorian houses and flower-bedecked picket fences. Or wearing a mystical sea king’s robes, the breeches and tricorn hat of a bold buccaneer, or the flowing hair and nearly sheer gown of a seductive siren.

Two cuckoos and their canines show of their finery during a past Fantasy Fest costume contest. (Photo by Rob O'Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Now imagine thousands of other revelers gleefully parading alongside you, costumed like mischievous mermaids, leering mariners, and devilish denizens of the deep. You raise your fins in salute, and crowds of spectators erupt in a thunderous cheer.

An unlikely scenario? Not if you’re participating in Key West’s Fantasy Fest celebration, held each October on the tiny island where virtually any occasion can spark a party.

The exotic 10-day festival is internationally recognized for its elaborate costume competitions, street fairs, masquerade balls and lavish grand parade. Fantasy Fest 2011 takes place Oct. 21-30 — and trust me, it will be an unprecedented display of Key West’s creativity, individuality, flamboyant spirit and love of “dressing for excess.”

Mariners of mayhem guide their vessel down Key West's Duval Street during a past year's Captain Morgan Fantasy Fest Parade. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Each year, a different theme provides inspiration for the festival’s fabulous costumes and floats. This year’s theme is “Aquatic Afrolic” — with an emphasis on “frolicking” in virtually every allowable manner.

With that much revelry taking place, however, unprepared partiers are likely to fall by the wayside. To maximize enjoyment, follow this five-step survival guide.

Pace yourself. This year, Fantasy Fest includes close to 50 undersea-themed escapades. No matter how dedicated you are, it’s physically impossible to participate in all of them — so study the festival schedule, figure out which events look most appealing, map out your strategy, and stick to it. (And take a nap at every reasonable opportunity.)

Wearing comfortable shoes (generally smaller than this one!) is a must to maximize Fantasy Fest enjoyment. (Photo by Rob O'Neal, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Wear comfortable shoes. Okay, you’re planning on dressing as the sea king’s princess, in a lavish multicolored gown with a glittering mask. But you’ll be doing a lot of walking and dancing, so leave the four-inch heels at home. Instead, get some comfortable flats and decorate them with sequins and glitter. An hour into your first party, you’ll be thanking the ocean gods you did.

Design your costume(s) to be easy-access. Let’s face it … eventually, everybody has to answer a call of nature. And that’s not easy if you’re wearing, say, a massive wraparound sea shell that weighs 15 pounds and requires two cohorts to help you put it on. Sure, it might attract lots of compliments … but you’ll be a lot happier in something more practical for a long night of carousing.

Make it memorable. Fantasy Fest should be a fabulous, unforgettable experience that you savor while it’s happening and relive in your memory for years afterward. But that can’t happen if you overindulge — so make some of your libations non-alcoholic. You’ll get a buzz from the festival anyway, and you won’t have to rely on blurry cell-phone photos and your friends’ tales to recall what a good time you had.

Fantasy Fest's Masquerade March draws costumed characters of all kinds to parade through Key West's historic Old Town. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Do not — under any circumstances — miss Fantasy Fest’s Masquerade March. This exuberant walking parade, which begins at the strangely appealing Key West Cemetery, is the locals’ favorite event. Marchers in masks and costumes, carrying noisemakers and accompanied by impromptu bands, meander through the island’s historic Old Town — stopping at designated B&Bs for nibbles and cocktails. Last year’s most colorful marchers included a flock of feathered “wild things,” four guys in matching Wonder Woman costumes, two polka-dotted walking octopuses and the self-proclaimed Sisters of Insanity, who confessed to having “nasty habits.”

Whether your festival plans involve nasty habits or not, click here for a VIP preview of Key West’s aquatic frolic.

Topics: Events, Festivals, Highlights, Key West, Local Color, Voices Main Archive

Sept. 23 marks the official beginning of autumn, a mysterious occasion when day and night are the same length. That’s nothing new in Key West, however, since our days start with an early sunrise and end at 4 a.m. when the bars close!

Fantasy Fest's frivolity and exuberance are captured each year in Fast Buck Freddie's extraordinary window displays. (Photo courtesy of Fast Buck Freddie's)

Our leaves don’t change color come autumn, but look for outrageous colors across the island when Fantasy Fest begins. Themed Aquatic Afrolic, it kicks off Oct. 21 with the Goombay Festival offering the tastes, sights, and sounds of the Caribbean in the center of Old Town Key West.

Businesses across Key West decorate for Fantasy Fest. Fast Buck Freddie’s, founded in 1976 by legendary gay couple Bill Conkle and Tony Falcone, leads the way in Fantasy Fest window decorations. A must-visit emporium when you’re on the island, the classy boutique department store is named after a popular cut on the first gold record of the group Jefferson Starship.

Oct. 21 also is the night we crown our king and queen of Fantasy Fest. I recently wrote about the hard work the candidates take on to claim the crown.  You can meet the royals at the spectacular coronation event, titled The Lost City of Atlantis and hosted by the Southernmost Beach Café. Book your table now since the gala gathering sells out every year!

Fans of HBO’s “True Blood” will love another Fantasy Fest event — the Vampires Ball at the Haunting of Fort Zachary Taylor (we locals lovingly refer to the place as Fort Elizabeth Taylor).

Revelers can really sink their teeth into the Vampires Ball. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

This costume event starts at 8 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 22. Dig deep into your crypt for an appropriate costume and be sure to sharpen your fangs for the haunting evening.

If you’re not into vampire vamping, check out the entertaining vamps at the Twirling Buoy Salacious Sideshow, also set for Saturday night and featuring Key West’s own burlesque troupe. The show is a raucous ride down into the depths of an old circus carnival full of sordid seductresses and marvelously mischievous characters — guaranteed to be unforgettable.

On Tuesday, Oct. 25, unleash your creative fantasies, don the headdress that sparks your imagination, and enter the Key West Business Guild’s 29th annual Headdress Ball. A $1,500 prize awaits the best headdress, along with a ride in the Fantasy Fest parade. Titled Aquatic Afrolic — Underseas Odyssey, it will be held on the site of our former Atlantic Shores at the Southernmost on the Beach.

Elaborately costumed party lovers "dress for excess" during Fantasy Fest. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

Headdress displays are likely to suggest everything from mysterious mariners to divas of the deep, and exuberant entertainment is planned for the evening cabaret hosted by local actor Tom Luna.

Tom was crowned Fantasy Fest king in 1992. I was there the night he was awarded his crown while a massive crowd screamed, “Luna, Luna, Luna!” and I will never forget that evening. You won’t forget the Headdress Ball either. Wear a mask, hat, costume, or headdress and be part of the over-the-top fun.

I’m off to ready myself for the arrival of the sloth of bears for Key West Bear Fest. FYI, bears can run up to 40 miles an hour and run sideways, beating the fastest human; they just can’t make turns as sharply as we do.

Most people would call a sloth of bears big trouble, but our bears are the gentle kind. They make their turns on the dance floor or in our bars and restaurants. Next blog I’ll tell you about them and their invasion of Key West!

Topics: Events, Festivals, Key West, LGBT, Voices Main Archive

September is a languid, laid-back month in the Florida Keys. On most days, a light breeze tempers the sun-drenched temperatures, and room rates are enticingly low at most resorts and bed-and-breakfast properties.

The Lower Keys' small pristine islands are a great place to "unplug" and enjoy the natural world. (Photo courtesy of Strike Zone Charters)

In fact, it’s the perfect season to spend a lazy interval on the water in the Lower Keys, discovering the intriguing natural environment while treating body and mind to some “unplugged” relaxation.

For example, Big Pine Key’s Strike Zone Charters is well known for dive and snorkel trips to places like Looe Key Reef and the 210-foot Adolphus Busch shipwreck. But they also offer an island excursion and picnic that’s a great way to unwind with family and friends.

The excursions begin at 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. daily on Strike Zone’s 40-foot glass-bottom catamaran — and even kids as young as toddlers can enjoy the experience with their families.

Attractions include snorkeling in shallow protected waters, the chance to glimpse aquatic birds, spotting stingrays and sometimes dolphins in the wild, a sample of light-tackle fishing and entertaining narration about the Keys’ history and environment.

Strike Zone passengers travel on a comfortable catamaran during their island excursion and picnic. (Photo courtesy of Strike Zone Charters)

Trip passengers learn how the individual Florida Keys got their names, the history of the railroad that first connected the island chain with the mainland and facts about the Keys’ birds, wildlife and marine life.

But that’s not all. The highlight is Strike Zone’s popular fish cookout on an uninhabited island — surrounded by shallow water ideal for wading. (For kids who don’t eat fish, the captain/chef grills hotdogs cut into octopus shapes.)

Excursions include snorkel and fishing gear, soft drinks and the fish cookout. Trips depart from Strike Zone’s headquarters at mile marker (MM) 29.5 bayside.

For reservations and details, visit www.strikezonecharter.com.

To benefit both mind and body, try paddleboard yoga classes. (Photo by Romi Burian)

What combines mind and body relaxation, healthful exercise and an eco-experience in Florida Keys waters? Paddleboard yoga classes from Lazy Dog, a unique outdoor adventure company located at Hurricane Hole Marina, 5114 Overseas Highway on Stock Island.

The two-hour classes are divided equally between paddling time and yoga practice. Participants first paddle out to the calm backcountry waters, spotting sea life and wading birds along the way.

The yoga experience is designed to still the mind and increase flexibility and strength through chanting, breathwork and seated and standing postures — all using the board as a “mat” while connecting with nature in a tranquil mangrove setting. The class ends with a paddle back to the dock.

Beginners through experienced yoga practitioners are welcome. For more information, including costs, visit www.lazydog.com.

And speaking of Lazy Dog, it may be a dog’s life — but in the Keys, that life can include a dog’s-eye exploration of azure waters by kayak, while the humans do all the paddling. As well as paddleboard yoga, Lazy Dog offers Doggie Paddle guided kayak excursions for people and their pooches.

This canine quartet is clearly ready for a kayak adventure. (Photo courtesy of Lazy Dog)

Dog-loving kayak guides lead the two-hour excursions, and paddlers travel through the mangrove shallows to a sandbar where two-footed and four-footed friends can frolic together in the warm saltwater.

Or, to enjoy a completely laid-back afternoon, take a languid swim at Bahia Honda State Park — where the beach has earned repeated kudos as one of America’s top 10.

The park is located on Bahia Honda Key at MM 37. For info, click here.

In fact, with so many ways to unplug and relax in the Lower Keys, this tranquil subtropical area just might have inspired the phrase “low key.”

Topics: Big Pine Key & Lower Keys, Environment, Local Color, On the Water, Voices Main Archive

(Editor’s Note: Occasionally we receive articles about the Keys that are too good NOT to share, like the piece here. It’s penned by writer/editor Buck Banks, veteran of the in-flight magazines for USAir and United Airlines among others. He has an offbeat sense of humor and a fondness for off-the-beaten-path explorations — as you’ll see when you read on.)

Want some instant decompression on your way to the Keys? Take Card Sound Road. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

By the time Kathy and I head to the Keys for a respite, we REALLY need it. We’re stressed, tired and cranky. Thank goodness we’re just an hour’s drive away from relief.

Actually, we’ve discovered we’re closer to decompression than that. Once Miami and the Florida Turnpike are behind us, we hang a left just past the Last Chance Saloon — and the vacation begins.

We take less-traveled, less-direct Card Sound Road to the Keys rather than the 18-Mile Stretch of U.S. Highway 1 that often seems like it should be named the Florida Keys Speedway.

While U.S. 1 is the route of choice for people who have to get to the Keys RIGHT NOW, Card Sound Road offers a slower, laid-back and scenic route that feels like the Keys even before you get there.

Welcome to Alabama Jack's, the laid-back heart of Card Sound. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

The two-lane CSR has no passing zones, so you have to travel at the prevailing speed, whether you’re behind a car towing a boat or a dump truck from the nearby quarry. But slower means you have time to look around.

There’s not a lot to see at first — sawgrass, a roadside canal, mangroves and assorted shrubs — but it’s easy on the eyes and restful.

Soon we come to what passes for civilization on the CSR — a patch of trailers and ramshackle dwellings that are home to the few denizens of Card Sound, complete with fishing nets, floats and crab traps along the road.

The social, victual and libation center of the place (the sign says “Welcome to Downtown Card Sound”) is Alabama Jack’s, an open-air bar, restaurant and honky-tonk that overhangs the mangrove-lined canal on the southern side of the road.

The Card Sound Bridge offers an unmatched view of clear water and mangrove islands. (Photo by Andy Newman, Florida Keys News Bureau)

What the joint lacks in physical charm it more than makes up for in friendly, attentive service, live music and good food.

The seafood platter, featuring real conch fritters, dolphin filet and crab cakes (all fried in a light batter) with sweet Southern coleslaw pairs well with an ice-cold bottle of Swamp Ape India Pale Ale.

After lunch, we pay the $1 toll and set off up Card Sound Bridge, which provides a panoramic view of the sound’s emerald waters dotted with countless mangrove islands.

After the bridge we enter Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge, home to indigenous North American crocodiles (though we’ve never seen one there). On the left are open vistas of Atlantic Ocean, and on the right thick mangroves.

At the intersection of State Road 905 we turn right and enter a new ecosystem — a tropical hammock of gumbo limbo, mahogany and poisonwood trees, and native shrubs.

Blog author Buck toasts his Card Sound experience with an icy brew. (Photo by Kathy Banks)

The woods look impassable and are interrupted only occasionally by white-sand roads that meander off into their dim depths.

The 905 rather abruptly empties into U.S. 1 at the north end of Key Largo. While it’s an adjustment to go from a quiet two-lane to a bustling four-lane road, it’s all right — because now we’re in the Florida Keys.

Topics: Environment, Key Largo, Local Color, Quirks, Voices Main Archive

Recently I was in Philadelphia at the 21st annual convention of the National Lesbian & Gay Journalists Association. I caught up with many colleagues including Fred Karger, the first openly gay candidate for president of the U.S.  Fred wants to come to Key West and meet with our LGBTA community and tour the island for the first time. It would be fun to have him here if he can manage it during his busy schedule!

Blog author Steve Smith greets Fred Karger, the first openly gay presidential candidate.

I left Philadelphia the day before the rains came, and was very pleased to be out and about in Key West instead of stuck in a hotel room watching the liquid sunshine.

Speaking of out and about, I stopped at the Bourbon St. Pub for the Saturday pool party and tea dance.  A fun crowd played volleyball in the pool while playing Bourbon St.’s version of ring toss. Stop by when you’re here and try your hand; drinks are BOGO — buy one and get one free!

Key West Bear Fest starts Sept. 22 for a weekend of fur, bears, otters and cubs.  Feast on bear-size portions at Antonia’s, Square One, and Braza Lena. Frolic with the bears at pool parties, bear drag shows, and late-night parties to welcome the sunrise. This third year of our Bear Fest is shaping up to be one of the best ever.

I am WAAAAY too busy with the Fantasy Fest king and queen candidates’ events, which are heating up everyone’s schedules for the next month. Recently Dave for King hosted an orchid auction with more than 125 attendees, and Sunshine had a Key lime barbeque party at Kermit’s Key West Key Lime Shoppe.

Fantasy Fest and the Headdress Ball are just around the corner -- but few headdresses could match this "Somewhere Under the Rainbow" creation. (Photo by Kenne Tucker)

Also running for king is Rebecca Shilling (yes, she’s running for king!).  Elizabeth “Liz” Ketcham and Surrey Westrupp are the candidates for queen. The ones who raise the most money for the Keys’ AIDS Help organization win the coveted crowns — so, if you’re here, try to attend some of the unique events these locals have conjured up.

Sea monsters and creatures from the deep, mermen and mermaids will surface Friday, Oct. 21, through Sunday, Oct. 30, during the island’s annual Fantasy Fest, themed “Aquatic Afrolic” this year. For more than 30 years, we’ve celebrated during the last week of October with toga parties, the gala Headdress Ball, Goombay street festival, a lavish over-the-top parade and much more. Visit the Fantasy Fest website for a list of all the events and plan to visit us for the festivities — there are still accommodations available.

Speaking of festivities, Womenfest began this week with more than 200 people attending the poolside kick-off party at the Southernmost Hotel. Check the website for all the Womenfest events, which run through Sept. 11.

If you’re not here for this year’s festival, mark your calendar for the 2012 event, set for Sept. 4-9, 2012.  And you’ll find great coverage of our current Womenfest in upcoming editions of Chicago’s Windy City Times, and on Lesbianlush.com and the Here Media sites over the next few months.

Till next time!

Topics: Events, Festivals, Key West, LGBT

In the 1700s sailors with the British Royal Navy brought fine goods to the Caribbean colonies, sailing the seas and earning the nickname “limey” for their practice of sucking limes to prevent scurvy on long voyages.

Captain Tony Murphy, who skippers the aptly-named Key Limey, displays a substantial prize.

Today, Tony Murphy is a limey who brings fun and laughter to the Florida Keys — both with his light-tackle guide business on his boat Key Limey, and at Captain Tony Murphy’s Saltwater Angler fishing outfitter.

“I always want to have fun; it’s all about having fun,” Tony said. “When it comes to guiding, if you’re having fun, your equipment is fantastic, your boat is clean and you present yourself … then the fish are just extra.”

Tony attributes his success as a guide to his passion for fishing and unconditional ability to have fun.

He caught his first chub fish at age 4 in the Thames River, and he’s been hooked on angling ever since. The self-proclaimed fishing fanatic grew up in London, and spent every weekend fishing with his uncle 30 miles away in Henley.

A two-week teenage holiday turned into a life change for the Londoner when he met a third-generation Key West native, fell in love, got married and moved to the Keys.

Tony began living in the Keys in 1986 and took his first job on a boat in 1988 as the first mate on the Lucky II. Later, with two days’ instruction, he learned commercial fishing and spent four years pursuing the profession.

Angling has been Tony's passion since the Londoner captured his first fish at age 4.

“Down here when you actually show up for work, word gets around,” Tony advised. “You get a lot of opportunities, and sometimes lucky things just happen to you.”

Even as a young man in his 20s, however, Tony found that commercial fishing took a toll on his body — so he transitioned into guiding. In an era when Key West boasted some of the pioneers of angling, his youth and attitude enabled him to reel with the best of them.

“What was a little different for me, early on, was that the guides who were around at that time were a little bit older and a lot grumpier,” Tony said. “I really like to make people laugh, feel comfortable and relax.”

The limey’s lively persona and guiding expertise earned him the limelight on many television shows over the years.

He was one of the expert anglers who worked with ESPN to put together the Madfin Shark Series Tournament, also a top-rated television series, and participated in and won the event for three consecutive years. In addition, he was the guide of three television shows based on shark fishing for the famed Bill Dance of “Bill Dance Outdoors.”

Tony's engaging personality and extensive angling experience made him a natural choice for more than one of television's notable outdoors shows.

Tony’s most challenging catch came in 2008, when a client offered him the opportunity to purchase a premier Key West angling outfitter called the Saltwater Angler.

Today he guides a few days a week, primarily for repeat clients, but spends most of his time running the Saltwater Angler. There he oversees 24 employees and refers business to 32 flats guides, 15 light-tackle guides and eight offshore boats. He hopes to make the Saltwater Angler an iconic shop that’s a must-see for all visitors to Key West.

“In the Florida Keys, we have so much going for us,” he said. “By the time we get people down here, it’s our job as guides to make sure they have a ‘Florida Keys experience,’ and I love being a part of their experience.”

These days Captain Tony Murphy is remarried, raising two sons and devotes his free time to his family. Happily settled in the subtropical Keys, he never wants to live in the cold hustle and bustle of London again — but, like a true limey, will forever have a passion for soccer, rugby and cricket.

Topics: Key West, Local Color, On the Water, Profiles, Voices Main Archive