The type of airboat used on the mangrove tours
This post follows on from the previous Kayaking round the Everglades
Mangrove Airboat Tour
The second tour was a spur of the moment decision. On returning the kayaks we saw a tour company leaving from the same jetty. They had the same airboats that we always see on TV and seemed very busy. Noticing us dither about whether or not to go they offered a 25% discount, which sealed the deal.
The main selling point of this tour was that every passenger had a headset, so they would be able to clearly hear the operator’s commentary. I’d really seen enough mangroves and water for the day, but H wanted to see more birds so we went along.
Entering an Everglades mangrove tunnel
It was very well run – the air boat operators (pilots?) knew all the waterways, and much like a safari driver, they were in constant communication to the other boats to share the best sights.
The headsets were a bit underwhelming. Either mine was malfunctioning or the commentary was ‘Bkzzkrk bzzzirk kkkrk bbbrrrr zerrrr. Wow, there’s a bssssssskkrrreeech.”
Once he pulled to a halt and shut down the huge fan engines we could hear him just fine. Unfortunately by then the bssssssskkrrreeech must have flown away. He gave us a lecture on how it’s very bad practice to feed the wildlife, and that his company would never condone such a thing. We then idled over to another boat where the driver was handing out small fish to all the passengers then telling them to hold it out to the birds. The calm reaction of the pelicans suggests this is common practice.
Inside an Everglades mangrove tunnel
Headphones back on we took a speedy shortcut through narrow mangrove tunnels back to the jetty and our final tour.
Grass tunnel in the Everglades prairies
Prairie Airboat Tour
I’d booked this one last, as it was the classic airboat view I was most enthusiastic about. The Everglades grasslands are known as prairies, and this was a Prairie tour.
Our driver looked suspiciously like the uncle from Gentle Ben. Under his expert guidance the airboats not only skimmed over the shallow water, but the short grasses without a hint of slowing.
Yet another attractive bird I don’t recognise
We really didn’t see much, but with a decent driver it was definitely entertaining zooming about like in the movies.
Zooming through the grass plains of the Everglades prairies
Everglades baby alligator
Other tours in the Everglades
There are alligator spotting tours, puma spotting tours and a swamp buggy tour that looked really fun, but cost more than all the other tours combined.
Walking the plank into the Everglades prairies
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