When Robert Turybury and his friend Seth Silverstein set out to celebrate Turybury’s first wedding anniversary by fishing for sharks off St. Simons Island, they had no idea they were about to encounter something much larger and more powerful than anything they’d ever imagined.
Turybury, a Brunswick resident, and Silverstein, who lives on St. Simons Island, deployed a fishing drone on June 7 to drop their bait roughly 300 yards from the beach.
“After about an hour, that reel took off and the fun began,” Silverstein recalled, watching his friend’s fishing rod bend under the strain of something massive.
What followed was a grueling solo effort by Turybury, who reeled in a massive 400-pound goliath grouper without any electric or motorized assistance, slowly dragging it an estimated 400 to 450 yards to shore.
“It’s just basically straight work,” Turybury said. “I have never experienced anything that has a strength like that does.”
The encounter showcased the raw power of Atlantic goliath groupers, which can grow to lengths of 8 feet and weigh up to 800 pounds, making them the largest grouper species in the Atlantic Ocean, according to NOAA Fisheries.
Although not listed under the Endangered Species Act, goliath groupers are under federal protection, meaning Turybury and Silverstein’s adventure had to end with a quick photo opportunity while the fish remained in the water before they released their catch back into the ocean.
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Before You Dismiss This Article…
We live in a time when information feels overwhelming, but here’s what hasn’t changed: facts exist whether they comfort us or not.
When A&W launched their third-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder in the 1980s, it failed spectacularly. Not because it tasted worse, but because customers thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If basic math can trip us up, imagine how easily we can misread complex news.
The press isn’t against you when it reports something you don’t want to hear. Reporters are thermometers, not the fever itself. They’re telling you what verified sources are saying, not taking sides. Good reporting should challenge you — that’s literally the job.
Next time a story makes you angry, pause. Ask yourself: What evidence backs this up? Am I reacting with my brain or my gut? What would actually change my mind? And most importantly, am I assuming bias just because the story doesn’t match what I hoped to hear.
Smart readers choose verified information over their own comfort zone.
Benjamin Payne | GA Today
Benjamin is the Savannah-based reporter for GPB, where he covers Coastal Georgia.
Prior to coming to Savannah, he freelanced in Bellingham, Washington, for public media outlets including NPR, Marketplace, and PRX. Previously, Benjamin hosted Morning Edition for WVIK, his hometown NPR member station in Rock Island, Ill. Before that, he served a news internship with NPR member station WBEZ in Chicago.
