Lauren’s #4: Ride an airboat in an alligator swamp

This may seem like a really, really random item to have on my list, but it was a MUST do while we’re spending an extended period of time down in Florida. We have been talking about going on an airboat for years! My Grandparents have always encouraged us to go with them on the Everglades adventure, but we haven’t been able to make it happen until now.

Early on a Sunday morning, we made our way south to Ochopee to visit Wooten’s Airboat Tours. Raymond Wooten started giving airboat tours in 1953, and the name has grown ever since. The land was occupied by Seminole and Miccosukee Indians as well as alligators, birds, fish, raccoons and various other wildlife, like black bears!

As we drove along the HWY 41, we noticed canals along the road and kept our eyes peeled for gators. We were able to spot a big one swimming and our excitement for the day grew even more! Upon arriving to Wooten’s, we checked out the airboats and the pond nearby. Another gator greeted us while floating near the edge. We wondered how many we would get to see on our outing. I said I would be happy with 5!

Our airboat guide, Captain Jake, called eight of us over for our 9:30 departure and we set off towards the Everglades swamp.

Colton and I got a front row seat for the cruise, as well as a warning that we may get wet, muddy, or both. Grandma and Grandpa sat behind us and watched as we smiled from ear to ear when the airboat roared to life.

We weren’t even five minutes into the ride when we rolled up on our first gator. Captain Jake said that this gator is their “9-5” consistent female that can usually be spotted on the tours. She was about 9 feet, as females usually stay a bit smaller than the males. A few minutes later while cruising we spotted another gator in the middle of the narrow canal of mangroves. It was a bit larger, and gave us a bit of a stand off as we approached. TWO GATORS in the first ten minutes of the trip- we were pumped!

Captain Jake let us know that the airboat travels about 45 mph, even with a full crew onboard. He also mentioned that the water level was really low, so the alligators would soon be heading to a deeper location in the everglades. We made it just in time!

After testing that 45mph speed and ripping some donuts on the airboat, we came upon “Zeus” one of the largest gators that they see at Wooten’s. Story goes that Zeus is a savage that will take on other gators. He fought one, killed it, and carried it in his mouth for a week just to show his alpha status. We got to see him swim, crawl through shallow mud and even escape down a small mangrove-chute.

Around another bend I was looking at a small island covered in grasses and thought I saw something move. With so many birds around, I kept an eye on it and saw a tail! I was feeling confident that it was a little gator. I motioned to Captain Jake and he swung back around close enough that we could all take a peek at the small gator on a tiny stretch of land. He is assumed to be about three or four years old.

We wrapped up the airboat portion of the adventure and sped back to the dock, only to find that gator holding was our next destination!

Colton held Casper, a gator that was pretty laid back. I opted to hold a 7-month-old gator that the guide described as “wiggly” so hold on tight. It was fun to get up close with them and know that we were safe. We checked out the zoo area of Wooten’s and then made our way to the swamp buggy ride.

The swamp buggy is essentially a tall tractor, with seating on top that is high enough to not get you wet as you cruise through a variety of different types of terrain. We were really intrigued by our swamp buggy driver, who told us he was going out hunting for pythons that night. If you haven’t heard or read about the anacondas and pythons that now inhabit the Everglades, it is an interesting topic to check out! They are invasive and killing off a lot of the bird, deer and even raccoon species. We wished him good luck!

On our buggy ride we saw deer and a raccoon, but not much else. As we toured through the cypress trees a steady rainfall started to fall that kept us on our toes. It would have been a little more pleasant sans rain, but it was still a cool experience!

The next step on our travels was Everglades City- more specifically the Rod and Gun Club. The history immersed in this place was pretty amazing! We had lunch overlooking the canal and got to read about past presidents that spent time there, as well as the drug running that came through.

Wooten’s is a highly recommended adventure if you’re in SW FL!