"Amazing," "breathtaking" and "impressive" are words we often hear
from first-time visitors to the end of our dock. What they're
referring to is the school of 50 to 100 tarpon that come here daily
and linger for hours. Occasionally, a tarpon actually rises up from
the water in a powerful flash of silver and green to meet the fish
as it leaves your hand. It's a sight to behold! Maybe the "Silver
Kings" just come here to see the humans, but toss a baitfish among
them and the water churns as these monsters and the resident
pelicans vie for the snack, causing quite a spectacle.
Robbie and his wife Mona started feeding Scarface 18 years ago.
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.
