Swamp Fever Airboat Adventures, Florida, United States

5The Hoppy Gal 5:00 PM Feb 22, 2022

Solid value for a quick adventure
I had some family from out of state in town and although we were staying in different parts of Florida, we decided to meet up in Lake Panasofkee. We were able to book our tour online the week before and SFAA had a flexible (24 hour) cancellation/refund policy that we were all comfortable with. We arrived a few minutes before the SFAA website (and subsequent reminder emails) asked us to be there. This is a good time to use the restrooms or grab a quick beverage from their small shop. As our official tour time approached, we were gathered with everyone else scheduled for the same time for the alligator holding demonstration. It appeared as though our entire boat group (maybe 16 people) had been on time but we all spent a lot of the half hour prior to our tour time just kicking dirt. The ladies who handled the gator and the crowd of people were fantastic. They let us know that one other group that was there waiting from a different time slot was somehow misscheduled and you could see that the ladies were trying to hustle to get back on some semblance of a schedule. But they never rushed any of the visitors through the gator holding and were super patient in their tone and manners throughout. I’m sorry I didn’t pay attention to their names, but thank you, ladies, for being the utmost professional in a clearly stressful crowd management situation. Once on the boat, Captain Kyle seemed to have the easier job. He was friendly, patiently answered everyone’s questions even though he’s probably heard them a thousand times, and navigated with ease through the waterways. We first cruised to one side of the lake and poked around the shore looking for gators. And we were lucky to see one of many right away. Capt. Kyle used variable speeds for the airboat to mix things up a bit. We would slowly skirt the shore and stop and look at some animal for a few minutes and then he’d pick up the speed quickly to cool us off and motor to the next sighting. The boat was maybe half seniors so maybe he was a little gentler in speed and maneuvering than with other rides, but in any case, it was enjoyable. There is a bit of swamp splash every now and then, so expect to get a little misted on (not drenched). We encountered (and had plenty of photo opportunities for) great wildlife – many different species of birds, turtles, maybe half dozen gators of varying size – and just really lovely and classic Florida environment. This was a perfect sampling of Florida nature for my out-of-town guests.

5Debra T 5:00 PM Jan 8, 2023

Fantastic!!!
what a blast!!! The adventure started out with a thrilling ride across the lake in the airboat before slipping into a swamp via a hidden river. Captain Steve weaved our boat through ancient trees waving strands of Spanish moss. You feel like you’ve gone through a time warp and entered a new world - deep in the bayou. As we made our way down the river, on our way to see one of the many natural springs, Captain Steve pointed out all the wildlife and told stories of the trees and foliage. We saw a lot of alligators throughout the trip and Captain Steve swung the boat around to be sure that everyone got to see each one. Every guest is invited to hold a live alligator, with plenty of time for photos. As an added bonus, we even got to see a bald eagle! Captain Steve was awesome. He was funny, interactive, and very knowledgeable. The entire staff was very accommodating and personable, they make you feel life family and you get the sense that they really want to share it all with you.