We have been fans of the TV show Gator Boys for several years and since they are based in Everglades Holiday Park near Fort Lauderdale, Florida, they're less than two hours away from our home.
We use to watch Gator Boys on TV with our daughter, Kristi, and grandson, Sean, when we lived in Illinois. Since Kristi and Sean are here in Florida visiting us for the holidays, this would be the perfect opportunity to see the Gator Boys and tour the Everglades via air boat.
We arrived at Everglades Holiday Park around ten o'clock and checked in for the air boat ride and gator show. We were assigned Captain Mike and air boat #5 which would depart in about twenty minutes. After the one hour air boat ride, the amazing gator show would be next on our agenda.
While waiting for our air boat, Kitty took this picture of Kristi, Sean, and Craig (me).
As you can see, they have several air boats here and they're all covered to protect the passengers from the Florida sun, and each boat holds about 25 people. These boat were custom made right here in Holiday Park.
After a few brief boarding instructions, we were on our way. Each boat is powered by two 500 H.P. Cadillac engines and weighs about two tons.
This canal was man made in the early nineteen hundreds.
Kitty, Kristi, and Sean are enjoying the scenery!
This Cormorant is keeping an eye us!
Captain Mike proved to be a very capable pilot. Despite winds gusting from 15-25 MPH, he managed to keep the boat on course. His piloting skills were matched by his uncanny sense of humor making for an enjoyable experience. Captain Mike is also an accomplished bird caller. We stopped at one of his favorite spots to check out some birds usually found in this spot. When he saw the birds weren't there, he used his expert bird calling abilities to call the birds to our boat. He yelled, "Here sweety, here cutie, here baby doll!" Amazingly, the birds flew over to our boat and Captain Mike rewarded them with a treat.
This Purple Gallinule is enjoying her treat.
This juvenile is under mom's watchful eye (top right).
Another Juvenile Purple Gullinile. These juveniles are being taught to come when they're called at an early age.
This Crackle wants a treat too!
This is a flowering Spatterdock.
Captain Mike found this grub inside the stem of a Spatterdock. He says you can eat this if you are in the Everglades suffering from starvation.
To prove this grub is eatable, he is going to demonstrate!
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| No! He really didn't eat that Grub! |
This gator is looking for some grub too!
Here he comes right for the camera! Wait a minute! I just remembered I'm the one holding the camera!
Captain Mike used his best gator grunt to scare this big fellow away! Thank you Captain Mike!
This iguana is staying as far away from gators as possible!
Well that hour air boat ride seemed to zoom by and was a boat load of fun. Despite the windy conditions we were able to see some wild life and Captain Mike returned us all safely to the dock. Now it's time for the gator show!
We stopped to take this picture of Kristi, Sean, and Kitty.
The Gator Boys rescue gators that intrude into human territory and none of these rescued gators are returned to the wild, by law, because of their homing instincts. The lucky ones are rescued and are at Holiday Park, or other wildlife sanctuaries.
Our show was hosted by Chris. He has a masters degree in Wild Life Biology, he's a published author, and a published photographer. In his spare time, he volunteers his services to conduct a few of the gator shows at Everglades Holiday Park.
You can't do a gator show without a gator. So, Chris brought out this 250 pound gator!
How do you open a gator's mouth? Very carefully! You just sit on the gators back and say open wide!
Notice Chris's fingers are carefully placed between the gators teeth.
Here he is "jawing" with a gator!
This gator gets a smiley face for not having any cavities!
Folks, please don't try this at home!
After the gator show, Sean and Kristi had a wild hair and did this crazy stunt!
That's a real juvenile python and alligator
Not to be out done. I stuck my head in this gator's mouth!
And Kitty threw this gator over her shoulders!
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| I bought Kitty that necklace at the gift shop for being so brave! |
On the way home, we decided to stop at Port Myacka on the north east side of Lake Okeechobee to enjoy the view and take a couple pictures.
Sean and Kristi
From Port Myacka, it's a short drive to our house. On the way home Kitty and I were both thinking of how much fun we had and we're already planning on going back to the Everglades sometime real soon! If you plan on visiting Everglades Holiday Park, ask for Captain Mike, you won't be disappointed!
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