Travelogue: Everglades Safari Park, Miami

When we were recently in Miami, we took a drive out to the Everglades Safari Park to have a closer look at Florida’s rare eco-system with the hope that we would also see alligators in their natural environment.

The only way to do that was by airboat, which is a flat-bottomed boat with an engine and an aircraft propeller that flies across the surface of the water.

We chose a private tour because we didn’t want to have to queue as the rides are first come first served and it is a popular place for coach parties. The private tour was a little more expensive but we had more time out on the water and had our own personal airboat and guide.

Our guide gave us a little introduction and a safety demonstration, which strangely didn’t involve a lot of detail nor a life-jacket but it did ear plugs.

After cracking the obligatory jokes about not having lost anyone for a while, he manoeuvred the boat out towards the open marshland and incredibly despite the noise of the airboat our daughter fell straight to sleep before we hit the jungle of flat wilderness. Fortunately it was only a nap and she woke before we saw our first alligator prowling just below the water.

Our guide told us for more excitement he was going to take us beyond the area of the Everglades that he was allowed, which was probably old bull and part of his patter, but it was the area where we saw all but one of the alligators.

We flew across the renowned sawgrass marshes and mangrove forests at what can only be described as an invigorating speed. The trip lasted an hour and was exhilarating if not a little unnerving being stranded in nothing but acres, 1.2 million to be precise, of nothingness but alligators, large birds and big bugs with a taste for human skin.

More seriously, although the alligators were the stars we did see a whole range of birdlife including Wood Storks, Herons and Snowy and Great Egrets. We were also lucky to see the impressive and horribly endangered Snail Kite, a bird of prey that circled around us a little too long for comfort.

The Safari Park also featured an alligator farm, walking trail and a somewhat tacky show, which we avoided but the girls did get their photograph taken with a baby gator. There was also a restaurant and a gift shop.

The airboat was fun and I’m glad we did it, although a suggestion would be to have had ear phones with a running commentary of what we were seeing as opposed to cheap ear plugs. Furthermore although we were lucky, we were warned that despite the huge expanse of grassy rivers we may not actually see an alligator, which would have been a shame because it was the only real reason we chose to come to the Park.