Monkey Island, 2024

Recently, I had the pleasure of “discovering” a  very unusual lighthouse, the lighthouse on Monkey Island, Florida. This lighthouse isn’t located on an ocean or a huge lake. No, this lighthouse is on a tiny island in the Homosassa River.

So how did it get there and why, you ask. Well it started in the 1960’s, when a man named  G. A. “Furgy” Furgason, one of the early developers of the Homosassa area, heard about a pile of rocks in the middle of the Homosassa River that was causing trouble.  The rocks were submerged just enough to be unseen and near enough to the waterline to be a problem for boats. Furgy offered to help by having one of his dragline operators pile some dirt on the rocks so they could be seen better. When the operator got finished, he had created a small island about 60 feet in diameter. Furgy decided to add a small lighthouse on the island to help the boaters see the island and avoid it.

Meanwhile, Furgy was building an exotic plant and wildlife park in the area. Included in the attraction were some monkeys who had been brought to Amerca by a doctor who planned to use them to perfect the polio vaccine. However, these monkeys enjoyed their freedom a bit too much causing trouble for visitors to the park. In addition to escaping frequently, they stole candy, got into visitor cars and bit tourists. The monkeys needed a new home where they couldn’t cause trouble, so Furgy had them brought to the newly made island.

Original Monkey Island

On the island, they built the monkeys a hut and added a couple of palm trees. Over time, the island and the monkey’s habitat has been improved, and recently was completely renovated to give the monkeys a new hut, ropes to swing on and ladders to climb. The island is now covered in grass, which the monkeys enjoy rolling around on.

Now under the care of the Homosassa Riverside Resort, they are fed a healthy monkey diet of bananas, oranges, sweet potatoes, raw peanuts and monkey chow twice a day. They are also regularly examined by a primate veterinarian.

Thousands of people come to see Monkey Island each year, either on tour boats or from the local Monkey Bar. Because monkeys don’t like to swim, the river acts as a natural barrier while they enjoy the freedom of their island, playing,  roaming, and watching all those crazy people come by to look at them.

And the lighthouse? It’s been painted a lovely red and white spiral and even has a solar-powered light to shine at night. No, it’s not an official aid to navigation, but it still serves the purpose of protecting boaters from running into danger.

What started out as an effort to help others became a blessing to  Furgy and many others over the years.

“In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5:16