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Air boat tours with Wild Florida make your Florida vacation! Find out why they are the best air boat tour near Orlando!
If you are looking for a wild but relaxing day trip, consider adding a Wild Florida air boat tour to your Florida itinerary. A great way to get up close to animals in their natural habitat, but in a very safe way! Perfect for those itching to see an alligator, for avid bird watchers, and a great day trip for families.
We've begun adding more animal encounters to our vacations and they are becoming some of our favorites! How often can you say you sat within 10 feet of a mama alligator or fed wild reindeer in Scotland? I only wish we'd started this sooner because we missed out on taking the kids dog sledding in Alaska! It's on our list for a return trip for sure!
When I discussed our girls weekend trip to Orlando, I mentioned our adventurous air boat tour with Wild Florida. I told you it deserved a stand alone post, and boy does it! This post is also picture heavy, but I was so in love with all of them…..it was too hard to narrow down all of them! When we first decided on our trip, one thing we researched was airboat tours in the Orlando area. After checking a few things, we decided on Wild Florida.
Air Boat Tours With Wild Florida
So why is Wild Florida the BEST air boat tour near Orlando?
- Wild Florida is in close proximity to Orlando, the perfect distance for traveling families
- It is located on Cypress Lake, at the headwaters of the Everglades.
- Cypress Lake has no houses or developments, which means it’s a pure eco-tour.
- Wild Florida offers air boat tours AND Ranch Buggy Tours, a sightseeing pier, a swamp walk and nature trails.
- Located on site is a wildlife & gator park, a bird aviary, an alligator pond and over 200 animals!
- Families can eat on site at a BBQ restaurant, grab ice cream cones, and also pick up snacks at their eclectic gift shop.
- Wild Florida also offers animal encounters with sloths, lemurs, and porcupines!
Wild Florida provides an incredible Everglades experience but also focuses on conservation and education. In addition to the air boat rides, Wild Florida offers a gator and wildlife park. I personally feel in love with this guy:
The tour guides love to tell you about the complex Florida ecosystem. For instance, I had no idea that ranches with cows are HUGE in Florida. In fact, Florida boasts the 10th largest beef cattle operation in the nation! This was news for this Texan. You can even see the cattle grazing right in the area! Good news, alligators do not target them because they are large.
If you’d like to learn more about the cattle industry, then the Ranch Buggy Tour is perfect for you!
We picked a morning airboat ride, as I’d read that was the best for alligator spotting. We were not disappointed!
We saw big guys like this one and little ones like this fella:
We even pulled up next to a mama alligator and a whole slew of babies! She made an unforgettable noise when the boat came near.
As much as I loved seeing the alligators, I was in awe of the birds. I saw so many species, it was a bird watchers paradise!
This guy. WOW. I mean, it doesn’t get more regal than that!
I love Great Blue Herons. I never tire of seeing them!
Sometimes people spot Bald Eagles, but we had no luck on our day! That’s okay! There were plenty of others!
This guy cracks me up. Makes me think he has “a case of the Mondays”.
We even caught a single Roseate Spoonbill in flight! I love their spoon beaks, and the pink pop of color is amazing!
I was truly amazed at our boat ride. The number of animals spotted was incredible, and the ride was actually very smooth. I was worried about any jarring, but there was none. They also provide hearing protection, as it does get a bit loud when the boats are moving quickly. Our tour guide would stop the motor often to allow us to hear his commentary, point out animals and give us a few minutes to take in the scene.
The scenery was spectacular!
I’ve decided that I must make time for encounters with wildlife on my future trips. They never disappoint! I can't wait to bring my kiddos back to experience Wild Florida! Have you ever done an air boat tour? I’d love to hear about it! Drop me a comment below!
Looking for another animal experience? Check out my post on feeding wild reindeer in Scotland!
Happy Travels my friends!
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