Over the years, I’ve spent a lot of time on this pier and on St. Simon’s Island. I remember it when—there were few tourists, sweet beach cottages, friendly native residents, and no large chain anything! The stores closed at night and the island was quiet. I also remember talking for hours with local artist Paul Patterson. He would tell me about the old island lanes and pathways to East Beach that no longer exist. The island is a different place today. But the pier still has its same type of characters—each one hoping to nab a net full of shrimp or in the case below a shark!

Shrimping off the St. Simon’s pier at night.

Fishing for sharks! Pretty crazy. Actually, I have never seen people do this before. This guy was “outrigged” for the big fish!

My shadow in the Atlantic. It is creepy to stand on the lower level of the pier at night. I always tell myself that should I fall in, I could swim to shore but I really don’t think that is the case anymore.

Okay, so the back of his shirt says, “We don’t eat them. They don’t eat us! I guess that’s justification enough for shark fishing.