Cheap Fun in the Keys

When I was researching the Florida Keys 2 years ago for our 20th anniversary trip I kept finding references that I didn't understand to feeding the "tarpon" at Robbie's Marina. I didn't know what tarpon were, but people described this experience with such enthusiasm that I decided we would also try it. Russ and I were instantly hooked and decided that this was the most fun you could have in the Keys for three bucks.

It turns out that tarpon are long ugly fish. If you have a few minutes to kill and want to read about how the tarpon feeding started, you can look here. It costs $1 to go out onto the docks at Robbie's Marina, and then $2 to buy a bucket of fish to feed to the tarpon, who are just swimming around waiting for someone to throw a fish dinner to them.

When we go snorkeling we are usually thinking about how beautiful all of the fish are. There are a few that are more interesting than beautiful, but they are mostly beautiful.

Tarpon are not beautiful. In fact, I think that as seen from above they're slightly sinister looking.

Fortunately there are also some lovely birds to look at while at the marina.

You have to watch out for the pelicans, though--they'll steal the fish right out of your hands, and bite you pretty good in the process!

Usually when you throw in a fish to the waiting group of tarpon there is a great commotion in the water as more than one tarpon goes after the fish. What was really cool to see was when a tarpon jumped up out of the water for a fish.

Rachel waited very patiently for a tarpon to jump up for her fish; after one did she was afraid to try it again!

Jenna said that when a tarpon jumped up to get her fish her hand (and the fish) were all the way in the tarpon's mouth! Unfortunately I didn't see that or get a picture of it.

Another visitor had good luck getting the tarpon to jump and was more than happy for me to take pictures of him. He told me that he is so good at this because he's come to Robbie's Marina every year for 7 years.

There was a little open air shop outside of Robbies. Most of our kids spent their allotted $5 in souvenir money there. I had fun shopping too--I got a cute pair of earrings (sorry--no tarpons on those!) and this great tarpon Christmas ornament. Every section is hinged so that the entire fish bends to the right or the left.

It will live on my bulletin board between now & Christmas reminding us of the stinky fun we had feeding the tarpon!

I just had to take a picture of this bench--I thought it was awesome!