When you are from Nova Scotia, tourists here don’t ask you about our great hockey players like MacKinnon and Crosby.
They also don’t ask about the world’s best and fastest and most beautiful schooner, the Bluenose.
No, they ask about Oak Island.
Oak Island is the biggest fool’s gold story in the history of silliness. It even has its own TV show.
Oak Island is a tiny speck in the ocean off Nova Scotia where “fools-from-away” have spent a fortune digging to find Blackbeard’s Treasure.
Nova Scotians know that the only treasure in the hole is the millions spent digging the hole.
My Uncle George started the whole thing.
The myth of the great money pit has been traced back to the Fo’c’sle Tavern in Chester, Nova Scotia, across the bay from Oak Island. The Fo’c’sle was one of Uncle George’s drinking-and-lying hangouts. He loved the fries — a staple for any beer- drinking Irishman.
So George was entertaining some of the local boys with his tales.
He noticed some “plastic paddys” — phony Irish sporting those heavy ugly tweed caps — were eavesdropping on the conversation.
The aging imp began to boast in stage whispers that his forebearers had a map putting Blackbeard’s fabulous lost treasure under the biggest tree on Oak Island.
The eavesdroppers were New York “yachtsmen” gathered in Chester for the sailing races.
Everyone knows that there are more fools with money in New York than anywhere on the planet.
The fools bought George’s map and the whole Blackbeard story.
They spent a gazillion bucks on equipment and started digging.
And digging and spending, and digging and spending.
God knows how many years later, they are still digging and spending and bailing water out of that big hole.
Someone needs to tell them George was just kidding.
Of course, this could never happen on Anna Maria Island.
Uncle George had an elevated taste in bars and would only frequent the Doctor’s Office or Duffy’s. Neither bar has fries, although The Doctor’s Office does offer free potato chips.
In any case, those digging fools could never get started on Anna Maria Island.
They’d never get a permit.
Everybody knows you can’t get permits for anything on Anna Maria Island.
— Sean Murphy
You can’t get a permit or fries at the Doctor’s Office, but the newly reassembled chef staff that made Beach Bistro famous is preparing exceptional beef and seafood specialties for Doc’s patrons — including the world’s best bouillabaisse.
Bring your Hurricane Helene stories to the Doctor’s Office and the staff will treat you to one of their amazing painkillers.
Apparently Sean hasn’t done his research or been keeping up with “search progress” on Oak Island that has been ongoing for over 100 years. Around 10 years back, a very successful oil exploration company owner in Travis City, Michigan bought the island along with his brother (except for 1 or 2 lots) to pursue the “treasure” search. Since the purchase they have invested many millions and are using the most advanced technology and huge digging devices. To date, plenty of depositor evidence has been found 120 feet below the surface including wood tunnel shafts, human bones and other artifacts which are related to the treasure that are historically tied to the Knights Templar as well as traces of gold & silver in water extracted from very deep wells and tested for precious metals (not a normal occurrence)! In addition to the deep/wide digging major excavations of a swamp and surrounding land have uncovered massive slips used to haul sailing ships ashore for unloading stuff and unique cobblestone roads used to carry it to deep shafts, tunnels and underground storage compartments . Also found are artifacts ranging from beads, Templar unique crosses made of metal and etched into large boulders, muskets, pipe stems, pottery and a variety of others dating back up to 600-700 years. The “search goes on” and the exploration, research and lab complex has become quite large and sophisticated involving hundreds of archaeologists, scientists, historians and workers from around the world – and yes, the History Channel is into its 12th season of the “Curse of Oak Island” that covers this most amazing “ISLAND DIG” – you might find it enlightening and enjoyable! Charles Porter (Harbour Isle).