Living with Alligators, A Florida History and How-To
To non-Floridians, the idea of living so close to alligators can sound exciting, scary or just plain wild. The novelty of it can bring unique challenges, too. But much like the endless summer weather, living with alligators is just part of life in Florida.
Alligators all over!
From marshes to rivers and swamps to lakes, alligators have resided throughout Florida for centuries. Spanish settlers & explorers in the 1600’s referred to them as el legarto (“the lizard”), and alligator became the English form of it. Alligators can be found in all 67 counties in Florida.
They’re solitary in nature, and tend to shy away from human contact. But as human populations grow steadily, the potential for interactions often occur. Alligators have been found in neighborhood lakes, backyards, garages, even swimming pools!
Should you encounter a gator that you believe could pose a nuisance to yourself, your pets, or property, you can call the Nusiance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286). Alligators under four feet long generally aren’t considered to be a nuisance unless the caller believes it could be a threat. And also keep in mind that, nuisance alligators are killed, not relocated.
Some Alligator Safety Tips
Whether you’re a local living with alligators, or just looking to visit the Sunshine State, here’s some tips to be mindful of regarding gators.
- When camping or fishing, dispose of scraps in trash cans. Don’t discard them in the water, because you may be unintentionally feeding alligators.
- Never feed alligators. Doing so can make the associate people with food and become aggressive.
- Don’t swim outside of designated swimming areas or in waters that might be inhabited by alligators.
- If you’re bitten by an alligator, seek medical attention immediately. Serious infections can result if left untreated.
- And don’t bother alligators. Not only is harassing gators illegal, it can result in injury.
Alligators are a cherished member of not just the Everglades ecosystem, but the state of Florida as a whole. Living with alligators, they seem to pop almost anywhere in the state. But the best place to see them up close is in their natural habitat. Taking an Everglades airboat tour at Mack’s Fish Camp is a fun, safe way to learn about them and the role they place in the environment.
Ready To Take an Airboat Ride in Miami?
You’re about to head to South Florida, packed and ready to enjoy some time relaxing near one of its many beautiful beaches. But, if you’re craving some time away from the artificial reefs of city hotels, and some excitement for the whole family, why not book an Everglades airboat tour?
A unique, and memorable experience for everyone, airboating in Miami is also a fun and educational way to see the Florida Everglades. If you’re wondering as to what an airboat is or what the benefits of riding one might be, here’s a quick overview to get you started.
Airboats, Transportation Standard of The Everglades
Airboats, also known as fanboats or blowboats, are flat-bottomed boats powered by aircraft engines fitted with caged propellers on the back of the vessel. By having these large propellers spinning above the water, airboats are able to cross the mostly shallow waters of the Florida Everglades quickly, while getting access to its more remote areas better than boats with standard engines. Along with their elevated seating, airboats provide a unique and exciting way for passengers to see out and over plants and grass and observe the wide variety of wildlife that inhabits the Everglades.
Get up Close with South Florida Wildlife
Florida is recognized as having a lot of three things: oranges, beaches, and the American alligator. They like to make their homes here in the Everglades, so airboating in Miami is the best way to see them and the many other animal species that reside here too. The Everglades is an environment with incredible biodiversity, with wading birds like the Roseatte Spoonbill and Great Blue Huron, turtles, and more calling it home. Once endangered in the 1980’s, the alligators have bounced back so well that you’re likely to lose count of how many you see while on an Everglades airboat tour.
Miami Airboat Tours - Experience the Florida Everglades
The Everglades truly is a gem of South Florida, one that no other state has. Outdoor sportsmen, nature enthusiasts and thrill-seeking families alike come from around the world to explore this area, many opting to tour it on a guided airboat ride to best experience it. At Macks’s Fish Camp, you and your family get to behold the vast, natural beauty of the Everglades, guided by the fifth-generation Florida Gladesmen who call it home, at an exciting pace. The chance to see the wide variety of local wildlife and a private airboat tour is just the activity to make for a complete family vacation to South Florida.
The Florida Everglades: An Escape From City Living
During your daily commute, you might spy a glance at a stretch of wilderness that seems unexplored when compared to your all-to-familiar routes to and from work. Getting settled into a traffic bottleneck, you recall that patch of wild earth you saw. You wonder not so much about what exploring it would reveal, only how glad you would be to be there at that very moment.
Sure, you may get a break at work, but what you’re after is a real escape from the maze of city living.
Some would argue that people require constant mental stimulation, but really the opposite is true. Living in a city environment makes a person’s brain work harder to process all of the random sounds and constant movement around them
The burnout of so much focus can make us irritable and impatient, but spending time outdoors can give your brain a much-needed break. Being in nature puts the brain in a type of cruise control called soft fascination, where you’re relaxed and your mind is focused effortlessly.
Spending time outdoors, away from the routines of urban living, can inspire you to explore.
The River of Grass, At Your Own Pace
If the saying “familiarity breeds contempt” rings true for you, that could be reason enough to break out of the urban sprawl. Taking a canoe trip through the Florida Everglades is a great way to see different varieties of wildlife and immerse yourself in its vast landscape. Or if that’s not your speed, a private airboat tour across the alligator holes and sawgrass is the thrilling reunion with the outdoors you need.
With the hectic pace that modern life is set to, sunrises and sunsets can end up just being bookends to a day. When you visit Mack’s Fish Camp, that stubborn urgency is replaced with a sense of timelessness. Having nature so close to the residential areas of South Florida, the simplicity and stillness of the Everglades can easily be overlooked. If you take the time to see it up close, you’ll discover another world hiding in plain sight.
Why Take an Everglades Airboat Tour?
The Florida Everglades is a sprawling landscape, full of natural beauty. It’s so massive that it could prove a challenge to anyone trying to see all of it by just canoeing or camping. Everglades airboat tours at Mack’s Fish Camp can provide a more direct experience with what the River of Grass has to offer you.
Being one of the most biologically rich habitats in the world, the Everglades are home to a wide variety, especially animal and plant life. There are many different bird species to be seen, especially wading bird. 16 different species of wading birds live in the Everglades, mainly those of ibis, egret, and heron.
Birds of Prey
Birds of prey are also a common sight as well. Raptors such as osprey and red-shouldered hawks can often be seen hunting lizards, snakes, rodents, and even fish during the day, with the more nocturnal barred owls appearing in the early evening.
While there have been over 350 birds sighted in the Everglades, nearly 200 of them are migratory. Meadow larks, cardinals, red-bellied woodpeckers, and blue jays can be seen during the drier winter months before the rain season.
But, the most well-known creature out of all South Florida wildlife (No, not the Skunk Ape!) would have to be the American alligator. Even without the close-up views provided by Everglades airboat tours, alligators are a standout due to their size. Adult females can reach 10 feet in length, and males can max out at 13 to 15 feet.
"Alligators are considered a keystone species of the Everglades ecosystem."
Alligators are considered a keystone species of the Everglades ecosystem. The “gator holes” that they make in the marsh as a sort of nest, help remove old vegetation and enrich the soil for new growth. They can also serve as an oasis for other Everglades during the dry season, between November and April.
Everglades Airboat Tours
An airboat ride in the Florida Everglades doesn’t have to strictly be for nature lovers. Being one of the world’s largest wetlands areas, South Florida is a great spot for fishing for largemouth bass. Apart from having Florida Gladesmen as your bass guide, the airboat ride itself provides a distinct advantage. Because airboats don’t have prop or trolling motors, they don’t disturb the fish nearly as much!
And let’s not forget about one of, if not THE best reason to see the Everglades by airboat, the amazing sunsets. With South Florida having no mountains, hills, or any topography, and the Everglades having no significantly dense trees or forestry, you’re treated to quite a panoramic view.
The expansive sky is often the perfect stage for colorful, picturesque sunsets. During the Everglades wet season, May to November, late afternoon storm clouds help “scatter” sunlight when dusk comes around, helping to fill the sky with more golden oranges and fiery pinks and reds.
So, when you decide that you’re ready to visit the Everglades, whether it’s for the wildlife, the fishing, or the scenery, you can’t do much better than taking it all in on an Everglades airboat tour.
Never Seen an Alligator Up Close? It’s Time You Have!
While riding on an airboat through the Everglades, you might swear you had just passed a log floating conspicuously out of place among the sawgrass and swamp lilies. A second look will show you that it was definitely not a log. The American alligator has long been a fixture of the Florida Everglades, and one that you’ll have the opportunity to see up close on private airboat tour at Mack’s Fish Camp.
Gator Facts
- Alligators usually stay in groups called congregations, and these groups can be seen swimming or basking in the sun. They do this to regulate their body temperature, because they can’t do it themselves.
- Alligators are carnivorous, but they don’t chew their food. They swallow their prey whole, relying on their sharp teeth and strong jaws to seize prey.
- Those sharp teeth of theirs are actually hollow and often break. But, they can just grow new ones!
Given their size and toughness, you would think it’s a given that alligators are the apex predators of the Everglades, but they’re not. That title now belongs to the invasive Burmese python. However, alligators are a keystone species, playing a critical role in the ecosystem of the Everglades.
They make watery burrows called “alligator holes” in the muck and limestone bedrock. They do this to keep cool and attract prey, but these holes retain water collected through the rainy season (May to November), which retain rainwater and act as a refuge and oasis for other wildlife during the dry season (October to April).
Alligators certainly are impressive creatures to behold, and you should always keep your personal safety in mind should you encounter one.
- Don’t ever feed them, because doing so can make them aggressive and worse, associate people with food.
- If you do happen to find yourself near an alligator, make sure that you’re at a safe distance (between 20 and 30 feet) from it, and back away slowly if you suddenly find yourself closer than that to one.
While there is plenty of unique wildlife to been seen in South Florida, the most fun and safest way to behold these animals is by taking a private airboat tour. The most priceless souvenirs you can get in Florida are the memories of an airboat ride through the Everglades.