Everglades National Park Institute — Local services in Florida City

11/10 would take the Eco Adventure tour all over again.

At the risk of waxing poetic:

This is the kind of adventure you take if you want an experience and not just to scratch off another item on the checklist.

Have appropriate expectations. The thing about adventures like this is that sometimes you get lucky and see all the wildlife, and other times you'd be lucky to even catch a glimpse. If that's not your thing but you still want to see awesome critters, then the zoo is probably your best bet.

What this trip DOES guarantee is that you will see a beautiful and dense ecosystem with an incredible and experienced guide who will shower you with fascinating information about the Fauna & Flora, and ecosystem. Safe, knowledgeable, skilled, patient, attentive, sharp-eyed, amiable, the list goes on.

If you would be happy with "just that" (that's a lot already), then this is the trip for you.

Apparently, we didn't see as many gators as usual, probably because they were still sleeping off the last meat-and-greet. Jokes aside, we got lucky. Weather permitting, we were able to stop ashore that day, and also got to paddle through the mangrove tunnels which alone is an adventure worthy of the bucket list. The gilded cherry on top of all of this was the wildlife sightings with much help from our guide Captain Al who pointed out some of the smaller, less spotlighted critters you wouldn't know to look for (there are snails and crabs in the trees?!), but again, keep in mind that not every trip will be such a dream.

Lastly, as someone who was very hesitant about the potential of being the next clown on the 6 o'clock news after visiting Alligator Central, I was not once even close to feeling nervous or scared at any point (don't flatter yourself, the Alligators want about as much to do with you, as you want with them). Oh, and bring water. Lots of water, 1. I am notoriously on the lower end of water consumption 2. This was on a very mild day, and I still drained my canteen dry twice.

TL;DR, Awesome adventure in Nature, Cptn. Al is an outstanding guide, it's not about the destination but...

Absolute blast with Captain Clayton on the Florida Bay Eco Adventure!

The Florida Bay Eco Adventure was the perfect way to spend a day exploring Florida Bay and the brackish waters of the Everglades Mangroves.

Captain Clayton was a great guide, educating us on the history of the Everglades and the flora/fauna of the area. It was also a very intimate experience—just 3 of us total + the captain.

We were greeted by manatees and a nesting pair of Ospreys in the harbor. On the boat ride out to Cape Sable, a pod of Atlantic Bottlenose Dolphins hung around our boat.

The ride took about 30min to get to Cape Sable. We took a tour through the mangroves where we saw a bunch of crocodiles and a bevy of different types of wading birds.

We took a short 15min ride to a reclusive beach, where we took a long walk marveling at the Gulf of Mexico.

Next came a short ride deeper into the mangroves followed by a short lunch as Clayton unpacked the kayaks (reminder to be sure to pack your own lunch & snacks!).

The paddle through the mangroves was adventurous—we encountered a bunch of crocs (not as nerve-racking as it sounds; they were very docile and/or skittish), herons, pelicans, and a lone raccoon. We paddled through streams, lagoons, and mangrove tunnels. It was strenuous at times and leisurely at others.

After that, we cruised back to the harbor—a successful day!

Would highly recommend if you want a good taste of Florida Bay and the mangrove biome, you like a little adventure/activity, and if you want to get a close encounter with a bevy of birds + crocs. Captain Clayton was a great guide & the Everglades Institute did a fantastic job catering...

To break up a long drive down from Ft Lauderdale to the Keys, we decided to book the “Everglades Experience: Sightseeing Program” tour. It turned out to be one of the best national park tours I’ve experienced in a while. From 10am to 2pm, we hit up 4 destinations: Royal Palms, the Nike Missile Site, Anhinga Trail, and Mahogany Hammock, with some minor stops in between. It was just our party of 3 in one car following our guide, Michael, and his partner in another vehicle through 20+ miles of the expansive park. We were connected by a walkie while in the car, as we hopped from spot to spot. At the points of interest, we got out of our vehicles and donned on masks for intimate, in-depth waking tours of the area. Nothing physically challenging, so great for the whole family. Spotted all sorts of wildlife and very few people. Michael’s knowledge and passion for the natural world was expansive and deep, truly carrying the whole tour. His partner, Richard, chimed with insights in on the plant world, while Michael focused mainly on animals and invertebrates. They made a great duo and we wouldn’t hesitate to do another tour with them again in the future. In addition to car tours, he also does guided kayak tours of the park, which we’ll have to try another time. There’s so much to explore in this fast expanse, I’m sure we’ll be back time...