Florida Memory is administered by the Florida Department of State, Division of Library and Information Services, Bureau of Archives and Records Management. The digitized records on Florida Memory come from the collections of the State Archives of Florida and the special collections of the State Library of Florida.
State Archives of Florida
- ArchivesFlorida.com
- State Archives Online Catalog
- ArchivesFlorida.com
- ArchivesFlorida.com
State Library of Florida
Related Sites
Image Number
Collection
Geographic Term
Subject Term
Additional Creator
Additional Creator
Physical Description
General Note
Henry the pole-vaulting fish was a feature of Wakulla Springs glass bottom boat tours. Started in the 1920s by local tour guides, boat drivers would pretend to call Henry (before the 1940s, the name Jimmy was usually used) to his pole. Supposedly a bass fish, he often was a bream or even a catfish. Taking advantage of the fishes natural tendency to clean their gills on flat surfaces, the drivers would wait over the pole for a fish to appear and rub its gills on the wooden pole (drivers made certain there were no other sticks or debris nearby). The visual effect was that the fish was pole-vaulting or jumping over the pole. The practice was continued after entrepreneur Edward Ball purchased the springs in 1935 as well as when the attraction became a state park in 1986. Much of the parks publicity highlighted Henry and his feats.
Wakulla Springs later known as the Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park after the state purchased it in October 1985.
Order Prints
Please select the size and options
Order Scan
Please select the size and options
Title
Subject
Date
Contributor
Identifier
Image URL
Thumbnail
Geographic Term
Color
Physical Description
Series Title
Shelf Number
General Note
Collection ID
Chicago Manual of Style
"Henry", the pole-vaulting fish at Wakulla Springs - Wakulla Springs, Florida. 1900 (circa). State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. <https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/71119>, accessed 22 June 2026.
MLA
"Henry", the pole-vaulting fish at Wakulla Springs - Wakulla Springs, Florida. 1900 (circa). State Archives of Florida, Florida Memory. Accessed 22 Jun. 2026.<https://www.floridamemory.com/items/show/71119>
AP Style Photo Citation
Listen: The Blues Program