The Rum Fish Grill in St. Pete Beach, with its floor to ceiling aquarium is missing something on the fancy illuminated menus.
What diners won't see listed as an appetizer, is a feast for the senses.
"It was built to emulate the Gulf habitat," says Curator Zachary Ostroff. "A lot of the species can be found swimming in the Gulf right next door."
At this seafood restaurant, folks can swim with the fish on the Guest Emerson Tour.
"Some of the red grouper can get pretty bold," Zachary says of the fish in the tank. And then there is Frightening Frankie.
"We trained Frankie to stay at the bottom."
Ummm, sure.
I am not a fan of eels, no matter how well behaved they are.
"He's expecting food at the bottom and only the bottom.," Zachary promises.
In order to climb in, folks must first exit the restaurant and climb on the roof! First stop:
Get your booties on.
Next, take a shower with your clothes on. In order to keep the water in the tank healthy for the fish, everyone will need to rinse off their hair gel, body lotion and perfumes.
Next, zip up in a life jacket that will keep you buoyant.
With the mask and snorkel in place, it's time to slip in the cool water.
Once in the 33,000 gallon tank, the outside world is blocked out. More than 30 species and 150 fish are free to come and go (except Frankie).
"They like pockets" Zachary warns. "I don't know what it is… I think they are looking for cash or something like that."
The in-water experience lasts about 10 minutes. Zachary says that's enough time since the 77 degree water is rather chilly and you don't want to miss lunch.
"SCOTT! You're dripping wet all in my dining room!" exclaims Tradewinds President Keith Overton.
Keith and his family actually caught all of the fish
"We chartered boats and went out for three or four days in a row and we caught the inshore fish, and kept them in a live well and brought them back and put them in quarantine," he explains.
What ends up on your plate is just as colorful as what is in the tank.
"These are two of our Gulf Wild Dishes. This is our grouper… and this would be our grouper with an almond blend," shares chef Justin Harry.
"And I was just swimming with these guys a half hour ago?" I ask as a leading question.
"Yep. Out there in the tank," Chef Justin responds.
Okay. We’re JUST KIDDING! I can’t stress that enough.
"No catching even in the tank. Just pictures," Curator Zachary responds. The joke is up. The fish in the tank are safe. They will not end up on the menu.
The seafood served at the Rum Fish Grill are part of the "Gulf Wild" program, aimed at fishery conservation in the Gulf.
Several fish on the menu come with a unique tag number, placed on the Red Snapper or Gulf Red Grouper by the fisherman who caught it. Diners can then use their smartphone to discover where and when the fish was caught.
As for that green eel named Frankie, in the end, he was scared of me.
"You saw when you were in there. They will swim right up to you and let you touch them," Keith concludes. "It’s a really cool experience."
About this destination
Where: St. Pete Beach, Pinellas County
Snorkeling Hours:
Tuesday – Sunday
10:30 am
Dining Hours:
Breakfast: 7 am–11am
Lunch: 11:30am–2pm
Dinner: 5pm–10pm
Age Requirement: Program is open to ages 8 and up.
Cost to Snorkel: $25
Admission to view the Aquarium: FREE
Parking: FREE
Snorkel Reservation Line: 727-329-1433 ext. 3531
What to Bring:
- Towel
- Bathing suit and swim shorts or Trunks to cover bikini bottoms
- Underwater camera with wrist strap
Address:
6000 Gulf Boulevard
St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
Websites:
http://www.rumfishgrill.com/guy-harvey-outpost-guests-swim-fishes/
http://www.swimwithourfish.com/
Longitude and Latitude in St. Pete Beach:
Latitude: 27.732428
Longitude: -82.746067
Drive Times to St. Pete Beach:
From Orlando: 2 hours
From Tampa: 45 minutes
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