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| Fuzzy Wazzy 600 lb Florida Black Bear |
It’s not often that we do
touristy stuff here in our beautiful state of Florida, but my oldest boy flew
in for a surprise visit. It was a perfect late winter day, 79 degrees outside,
a bright blue sky with cotton white clouds that seemed to just hang there, as
if painted by the hand of God.
My wife, my son and I loaded up the SUV and headed 100
miles south into the Everglades. Our destination was Captain Jack’s Airboat
Tours www.captainjacksairboattours.com They along with Wooten’s Everglade
Airboat Tours www.wootenseverglades.com
provided the “Ultimate Everglades Combo.” This includes a one-hour airboat tour
through the mangrove forest, a half hour airboat run through the sawgrass (and
mud when the water is a low as it was on this February day), a swamp buggy
ride, an alligator show and an animal sanctuary.
The ride through the mangrove
canals was fast and exciting. Over fifty miles an hour with fast turns, quick
stops and donuts that left us laughing and wet. The captain was very
knowledgeable, he explained that these canals were man made when US 41 was
being extended south and in the 1920’s and 30’s were used by moonshiners like
Al Capone. Then in the 1970’s and 80’s these waterways were used by marijuana
smugglers. Enough pot was smuggled into Everglades city to supply the entire continental
United States.
In 1983, 200 federal agents
and Collier County Deputies descended upon Everglades city and over the course
of their investigation arrested 300 of the 526 residents of this small South
Florida town. They confiscated much of the commercial fishing fleet and locked
up 85% of the local men ending Everglades City’s lucrative but illegal
marijuana smuggling industry.
The ride through the sawgrass
was a totally different experience. The airboat was smaller, but just as fast
and seemed more maneuverable. We were in the middle of a high-speed donut, when
the boat stopped with a jolt. The airboat ran-a-ground. For shock value he
asked us to get out and push the boat off the mudbank, but instead the captain
cut the engine for a quick question and answer session. He dipped a paddle into
the water and hit bottom in about six inches. He went on to explain why the
Glades were so shallow.
We were off again. After a few
fast turns and wake jumping we stopped in a small cove where the Captain got to
know us a little better. There were people from Paris France, Wisconsin and my
family. Since we were the only Floridians in the group he picked on us a little
bit and reminded my wife that the favorite food of alligators in the Everglades
was pretty blonds from Englewood.
The Captain also explained
that 100 years ago there wasn’t a mangrove tree in the glades. Then the
government got involved (The Army Corps of engineers), decided to improve the
Everglades for sugarcane farms and urban development, they drained it too fast
which allowed the saltwater to rush in and bring in new plant and fish species.
Along with the alligators there are also crocodiles, otters and one of the
worst invasive specie the python. On this stretch of the trip he let a woman
from Wisconsin steer the airboat into another cove full of gators for all to
see. Back at the dock the Captain took pictures of his passengers and thanked
us.
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| Everglades |
Next up was the alligator
show. This show was impressive and informative, performed by a man from the
Seminole tribe and a ten-foot gator named Charlie. There were several tricks
done with Charlie including holding the gators mouth open with chin to upper
lip contact and placing his hand into Charlies mouth, which got him bit a few
months earlier. He explained the history of the Seminole people in the glades
and how they would use every bit of the alligator down to the teeth and
bones.
The last thing on our schedule
was the swamp buggy ride. Our driver was an eighth generation Floridian and her
family lived in the Everglades the entire 160 years. She seemed to know
everything there was to know about the history, wildlife and living in the
glades. She was definitely a character.
The ride took a little over
thirty minutes, in that short time we saw a deer and two black bears. Fuzzy
Wazzy is a 600-pound male. If you didn’t know any better you would want to get
down and pet him. We passed a cypress tree bent 100 years ago by the natives to
mark the trail and a rebuilt village. This village was built with the same
technology and materials that the Seminoles used generations ago, and recently
withstood the category 5 hurricane Irma. Seems that the Seminoles knew
something we don’t.
When the topic of pythons came
up again, she told us that the invasive species is wreaking havoc on the
natural ecosystem of the Everglades and is putting some native species close to
being endangered including the Florida “bunny rabbit” because the snakes are
eating so many.
This was an amazing way to
spend a day with the family. Be sure to tip your Captains and drivers. If you
bring your cameras, I would suggest a GoPro for the airboats, just because of
the possibility of salt spray and water. We saw many expensive cameras heading
out and the Captains will take every possible precaution to keep you and your
camera safe. On the swamp buggy ride your camera is a must. You never know what
you may see. If you are lucky you may even get a picture of the Skunk Ape,
Florida’s version of the elusive Bigfoot.
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| Everglades Alligator |
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