Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Tours

Honestly, I have no idea how these things happen.  You might remember the “Catch of the Day” story about a fish leaping into the airboat…

But a fish jumping into the airboat a second time?  No way!  Except it happened again last night… we were on a night airboat ride, nearing the end of the ride.  Our passengers were understandably a little edgy – it’s a bit spooky out there in the swamp at night seeing all those glowing red gator eyes.  I spotted one more pair of eyes we wanted to check out before heading back, so Captain Harold was inching closer and closer while I had the spotlight aimed on the eyes….

And the fish leaped onto the boat!  I thought our passengers were going to come unglued, but they managed to tell us (through lots and lots of laughter I might add) that what had jumped into the boat was a fish.  I guess they had a moment or two where they thought it could have been something else (a gator maybe?  I’m not telling!) 

Captain Harold laughed all the way back to the boat ramp.  And then some.  We sure know how to make memories!! 

Here’s another new 5-Star Review of Spirit of the Swamp Airboat Rides on Trip Advisor:

Oh what a delight to get away from the theme parks and into the swamp!!! Debi had kindly delayed our tour as we were waiting for a rocket launch at Kennedy Space Station.

Captain Harold lived up to his excellent reputation on this site, we were given a personal 2 hour tour and he pointed out the wild life, slowing the boat down for us to take pictures. My son’s aged 9 and 11 loved the 360 turns, and enjoyed the information given via the headsets. Captain Harold was very good with our boys and didn’t seem to mind their screams of joy as we raced along. (You can turn down the volume on the headsets!).

The boat was clean and we felt very safe. We stopped for a drink/photo in the middle of the swamp, funny to think of all the wildlife swimming around us…and underneath us.

I had high expectations of this tour after reading all the excellent reviews on Trip Advisor…and have to say it met them all…and more.

Gosling Kids Have Fun!

The Goslings' Gator!

Blue Heron in Flight

You can check out this review and more on Trip Advisor:

As you can see from the testimonial below that I just received from Elaine, it’s a great idea to bring your out-of-town visitors on an airboat ride!  Let them see Florida’s breathtaking nature and we promise it will be the highlight of their visit.

We had a great time!  Captain Harold was a thoughtful and knowledgeable guide and the airboat tour was first-rate.  We’re already looking forward to our next trip and to bringing family and friends along to enjoy this natural Florida experience.
Elaine and Emilie - Zephyrhills, FL

Remember, we’re just short drive away from Orlando, Kissimmee, Tampa, The Villages, Cocoa, Daytona, Clearwater , Davenport, Lakeland and St. Pete… and more!