#103 Feed the Tarpon at Robbie's 77522 Overseas Hwy, Islamorada, FL 33036

We planned to go to the Methodist at Islamorada. We called ahead to see if they had a place large enough for us to park during the service. We had hoped earlier to stay here via the Nomads but they didn’t have a slot available. The minister wanted to know if we wanted to have lunch so I said sure. We had a nice time he got him a bit. He mentioned why don't you feed the Tarpon at Robbie's. He said his grandchildren enjoyed it and it's pretty cheap entertainment it’s like $3.

It was on our way back so we did just that. When we found Robbie's we had to park the camper half a mile away and just take the truck over there. We paid our three or four dollars a person and they just give you a bag of fish. They're are dead and the tarpon kind of grab it out of your hand. and we have a video of this and it's so cool. There's a nice story I'll probably put in here with it that describes how the whole thing started by helping a wounded Tarpon back to health.

Robbie and his wife Mona started feeding Scarface in 1976. Scarface appeared floundering in the shallow waters near the dock; Robbie saw the struggling tarpon and, thinking it had swum too shallow and gotten stuck on the bank, went out into the water to free it. He lifted the fish and saw that the right side of its jaw was torn open. Hoping to revive the tarpon, Robbie placed it in the oxygen-rich shrimp tank and called old Doc Roach.

The doctor showed up with his wife’s mattress needles and some twine, and Scarface became the first known tarpon with stitches.

After several days of force-feeding, Scarface showed good recovery and weight gain; six months later he was released into the waters off the dock. Afterwards, Scarface continued to frequent the docks; sometimes bringing a friend. Soon more and more of the fish began to appear.

Today, the tradition continues, with visitors from all across the world coming to marvel at the spectacle and offer these magnificent creatures a snack.