Robbie's of Islamorada
Wild tarpon the size of small children will jump out of the water and take fish from your hand. This is encouraged.
Robbie's Marina has been feeding tarpon since the 1970s, when a local fisherman started tossing scraps off the dock. The tarpon came back. They kept coming back. Now there are dozens of them — prehistoric-looking silver fish, some over five feet long — circling the dock waiting to be fed.
Robbie's is at MM 77.5 on the Overseas Highway in Islamorada. Admission to the dock is $1. A bucket of fish to feed the tarpon is $4. Go early — the tarpon are most active in the morning. The marina also has kayak rentals, boat charters, and a good fish market.
The tarpon are not tame. They are wild fish that have learned that humans bring food. When one takes a herring from your hand, you will feel the full weight of a 100-pound fish and briefly understand why people have been fishing the Keys for centuries.