Everglades, Air Boats & Alligators

Fort Lauderdale, Florida
Saturday, May 6, 2006

Fort Lauderdale is the Venice of America because it has 165 miles (266 km) of navigable inlets and canals, and like Venice, has a public water bus service.

The first photograph is a bird of paradise flower arrangement that my bride Janet made at a class on board the Amsterdam and it graced our suite for several days. Jan also did a smaller flower arrangement of mixed flowers at another class that we also had in our suite. So our suite was bloomin lovely, if you know what I mean.

Jan and I took a tour out to Sawgrass Recreation Park and Education Centre about the everglades and wildlife of Florida. The tour started with 30 minute bus trip from the ship to Sawgrass and then we met a full size alligator in a pond and a number of other animals. The highlight of the tour was our thirty minute ride on the air boat over the everglades.

Air boats have no brakes or reverse but are very agile as they float across the water and grasses of the everglades driven forward by a large fan and steered by a rudder. There were twenty-four of us on our air boat and it wisked along nicely, floating and turning with ease. Other smaller air boats were available for rent. They were designed for a single passenger and a boat captain both of whom sat on a high chair for better viewing. These smaller boats were much faster and could go through the denser grass without concern.

Anyway, we did see several very large alligators in the everglades - at a distance, who mostly submerged. We saw a small alligator up close and personal at the education centre. Alligator skin is much smoother than you'd think from looking at it.