Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Tours

Here’s a new post on TripAdvisor – we love that these customers commented about nothing being “staged” or planted.   Showing you wildlife in their natural environment is what we do best!

My wife and I were on our honeymoon and decided to try Spirit of the Swamp after reading some really positive reviews. We were not disappointed – we saw a couple of large gators and many babies.

As our Captain (Harold) pointed out, this is not Disneyland, there are no staged animals, nothing is ‘placed’ or planted as a deliberate attraction. The lake and surrounding area is approx 20,000 acres and in such a large area, the gators will either appear or they won’t – they can’t be forced.

The scenery however is beautiful and Harold was a fantastic Captain. Very informative, receives questions very well and drives the boat in such a way that you stand a great chance of seeing the wildlife instead of zooming past it. He also stopped the boat for us to take a picture of us and had a small Q&A. We also loved that the headsets allow him to talk to you during the ride and as you have a microphone as well, you can ask him questions along the way.

Overall we were more than satisfied with the trip. I’d say to anyone looking to do an airboat ride, remember that this is nature and you should never go expecting to see dozens of alligators. As Harold said, this isn’t staged so don’t be disappointed if you don’t see any. But we’d definitely go back and would love to take another boat with Harold.

Unfortunately,  there are airboat companies and captains who bend the rules each and every day…

Here’s some FAQ’s about Spirit of the Swamp and safety:

Q:  Are all of your Captains Licensed?

A:  All of our Captains are Master Captains licensed by the United States Coast Guard.

Q:  Do you run background checks?

A:  All of our employees, including Captains, have passed a Level II background check; which includes a national and local criminal history check, credential verification, and fingerprinting.

Q:   Are you a drug free workplace?

A:  Our Company and each Captain belong to the Maritime Consortium, a full compliance pre-hire and random drug testing program approved by the US Coast Guard.

Q:  How do you protect the environment?

A:   Our tours include educational information on preservation, conservation and the protection of our beautiful and unique ecosystem.  All wildlife is safely kept from harm as they are viewed in their natural habitat.

Q:  Do you feed or lure alligators?

A:  There is no feeding or enticement of Alligators and there are no exceptions to this rule.

Our passenger’s safety is our top priority.  Children under the age of 6 will be provided a USGC approved child’s life vest, which must be worn at all times according to Florida law.

Our airboats are inspected daily and carry personal flotation devices for all passengers.

All Captains are required by federal law to carry their US Coast Guard credentials every time they operate a boat.  If in doubt, you can and should ask to review these credentials.

Florida weather, especially in the summertime, can be unpredictable and we never hesitate to leave the water during inclement weather conditions.

Beautiful Airboat!

Spirit of the Swamp offers the ideal vacation trifecta: sun, water and geographic proximity to the major attractions in the Central Florida area.

We can tell that everyone is looking forward to Spring Break in the Sunshine State! The phones are ringing and reservations are being made for the perfect Florida vacation adventure: an Airboat Ride!

So what are you waiting for? Here’s why you need to book your airboat tour right now:

1. The weather is perfect in the spring… almost without fail; every day is a beautiful day. And there’s no charge for a weather related cancellation.

2. It’s the start of alligator mating season. The big bull gators are looking for love, and they’ve come out of hiding. Need we say more?

3. Wildlife viewing has never been better! Its springtime and all the swamp critters are beginning to court their new mates. They’re active. And they’re definitely out in force.

4. Are your grandchildren planning a visit for Florida? An airboat tour is a perfect choice for families to have a fun and exciting time together in the beautiful outdoors.

We try to accommodate as many “last minute” reservations as we can, but if you want the absolute best airboat ride in Florida, please make a reservation a few days in advance.

(Due to the popularity of our private airboat rides, advance reservations are required) Call or text 321-689-6893.