Florida Everglades

Took a trip up to the amazing water-filled grasslands for a ride on an ‘airboat’ (flat boats with plane propellers!) in search of alligators. We didn’t see any from our boat but it was a good fast ride! Our new bridge-friends Doug and Lynette saw one gator from their boat and gave us the photos!

We saw some gators, some turtles, iguanas and a big fat tortoise in the small conservation centre they have there. They let you pet the baby alligators as they are socialising them to grow up in captivity.

You are not allowed to feed or interact with the wild alligators of course!

The big male in the tank is called Cannibal as he was forced into a breeding programme but just ‘ate his first six girlfriends’. Then the centre rescued him and he is now happy with Crystal, a rescued ‘nuisance alligator’ who was bothering humans (due to them feeding her) and would have been destroyed if they hadn’t got her.

The babies are all theirs and the one we stroked is about 4 years old.

Our guide, Juan, said ‘Fort Lauderdale in an odd way so at first I wondered where he was on about! He said ‘Flauderdale’, and called Florida ‘Floda’ 😊

See you later, alligator!Read more