Everglade City, Florida.

On our 2023 Fall Trip, we headed east toward Key West, down the Gulf Coast toward Naples, and southeast on U.S. Highway 41 toward the southern tip of Florida. As we planned the trip, one of the potential activities for sightseeing in the Everglades was spotted on Google Maps.

Per their website, we reserved a tour 72 hours in advance and arrived at the dock about 40 minutes before our scheduled boarding time. We were the first guests on their schedule that morning. The dock wasn’t open yet, but within five minutes, someone showed up to open the road into the dock area.

While we waited for them to finish the process of opening for the day, we wandered around the dock and the grounds, carefully following their signage to stay off the dock until we were escorted to the airboats. The Everglades is a vast wilderness area encompassing wetlands, forests, and prairies. Everglades National Park encompasses much of the swampland, but there are private owners’ properties, of which Captain Mitch is one. We also visited the park and I will feature a post with views from that tour in a future Travel Tuesday post.

Though this area of the Everglades is mostly water, there are large areas of wetlands that appear to be fields of grass. Stepping onto the grass would be a surprise as it is truly a sea. The Everglades provide a crucial habitat for numerous species of plants and animals, including alligators, crocodiles, panthers, and hundreds of bird species.

Though we visited in September, the best time to visit the Everglades is during the dry season, which runs from December to April. The weather is mild during this time, and the mosquitoes are less of a problem. However, our mid-September experience was without the annoyance of mosquitos, and the morning air temperature was in the low 80s F.

Soon, our captain escorted us to the dock. Our party of four got settled into an airboat with plenty of room for us in two rows of bench seating. We were given foam ear protectors because the large engine and propeller are noisy. If you, like me, wear hearing aids, you should bring something to carry them in so they don’t get lost. The captain navigated us through narrow channels with mangrove islands on both sides. In only a few minutes, I concluded that it would be effortless to get lost.

We didn’t get Captain Mitch, and he introduced himself. I noted his name, but since I didn’t have a way to photograph it, of course, I don’t remember it. I do remember asking some questions about navigating the swamp. As an active pilot, I’ve been interested in navigation principles for many years. I was curious how airboat captains manage to navigate these complicated channels. Our captain said he’s been with the company for three years, and prospective captains are given a navigation test prior to being hired. They must know their way through the mangroves without getting lost before carrying passengers. They have a portable emergency radio, but he never used it on our trip.

We rounded some curves at one point, and the airboat stopped near an alligator. We were introduced to a female who lives in this area. The captain noted that he usually finds her near this particular stop on the tour.

At one point, we entered a wide area of open water, but I could see that ahead, we would again be entering a narrow channel between the mangrove trees. I asked about some of the narrowest channels and if they ever close up. The captain noted that does happen on occasion. As the mangroves are protected, they cannot reopen a channel that closes naturally. They must find an alternative path through the swamp for future tours.

In addition to the alligators we saw, iconic residents include American crocodiles, Florida panthers, manatees, and hundreds of bird species, such as roseate spoonbills, egrets, and wood storks. We saw a few birds on our airboat ride, but they were too far away to get decent photos. I wasn’t to miss out, though, as there were plenty of opportunities to capture pictures of Everglade bird life in Everglades National Park.

Our captain was knowledgeable and entertaining, and we found this airboat tour a fun way to see the Everglades up close. You can choose from many airboat tour companies and many helpful online reviews to help you decide. I can tell you that we enjoyed Captain Mitch’s tour.

Here are some things to remember from their website if you are considering booking a tour with Capt. Mitch’s Everglades Private Airboat Tours:

• Reservations are recommended online at least 72 hours in advance.
• You can call to check for same-day availability if you plan your trip at the last minute.
• Wear comfortable clothing and shoes you don’t mind getting wet, as the airboat tours have a splash factor.
• Bring sunscreen and a hat, as the airboats have no shade.

For those who would like a better view of the images in this post, you can pixel-peep on my Flickr site here. The Everglades is the largest subtropical wilderness remaining in the contiguous United States. It’s a mosaic of wetlands, including sawgrass prairies, hardwood hammocks (islands of trees), cypress swamps, and mangrove forests. This diversity provides vital habitat for a massive range of species.