Although a little out from the central area where most people stay about a 30-minute drive and not far from Orlando International Airport, Boggy Creek Airboat Rides are well worth a visit. You would probably be better phoning to make an appointment during busy times but you can wait if you wish. They have a little shop to look around and souvenirs to buy if you wish, soft drinks sales and a covered shady area for you to view the lake whilst waiting for your boat ride. They have some very high vehicles to take you on a land tour, which we haven’t done yet, but what a fantastic time we had on the airboat ride.
You make your way to the boat and they load around 20 people on the bigger boats, although they have some smaller ones, after a safety talk everyone is given headphones to dampen the noise of the engine which is of course is fitted just behind the driver, the huge air propeller blowing air over the flaps to steer the boat, the engine and steering gear needing to be out of the water because these flat bottomed boats go in very shallow water indeed.
Slowly leaving the jetty and heading out onto the lake the driver opens up the accelerator to a huge roar and surge of speed, everyone is in anticipation of spotting an alligator, weaving in and out of the shallows, over grass tussocks and spinning round to view a bird of prey, a diving bird or an egret. Stopping to view something of interest on the land or when we get close to some of the waterfowl. On we speed to an island at the far end of the lake where the driver knows that alligators pull out to bask in the sun, shutting down the speed to minimise the noise lest we should disturb them and they fall back in the water. Here the water is very shallow and you wonder how a boat this beg with so many passengers doesn’t run aground.
Reaching surprisingly high speeds we spin and turn splashing up plumes of water first on the left, then on the right, over to the side to see an Eagle bathing in the shallows, Cormorants drying their feathers on a branch and all to soon we are on our way back to the mooring the driver shutting down the boats engine so that it glides up to it’s mooring without any wash destroying the banks.
A very worthwhile trip out, and a very enjoyable couple of hours.
You make your way to the boat and they load around 20 people on the bigger boats, although they have some smaller ones, after a safety talk everyone is given headphones to dampen the noise of the engine which is of course is fitted just behind the driver, the huge air propeller blowing air over the flaps to steer the boat, the engine and steering gear needing to be out of the water because these flat bottomed boats go in very shallow water indeed.
Slowly leaving the jetty and heading out onto the lake the driver opens up the accelerator to a huge roar and surge of speed, everyone is in anticipation of spotting an alligator, weaving in and out of the shallows, over grass tussocks and spinning round to view a bird of prey, a diving bird or an egret. Stopping to view something of interest on the land or when we get close to some of the waterfowl. On we speed to an island at the far end of the lake where the driver knows that alligators pull out to bask in the sun, shutting down the speed to minimise the noise lest we should disturb them and they fall back in the water. Here the water is very shallow and you wonder how a boat this beg with so many passengers doesn’t run aground.
Reaching surprisingly high speeds we spin and turn splashing up plumes of water first on the left, then on the right, over to the side to see an Eagle bathing in the shallows, Cormorants drying their feathers on a branch and all to soon we are on our way back to the mooring the driver shutting down the boats engine so that it glides up to it’s mooring without any wash destroying the banks.
A very worthwhile trip out, and a very enjoyable couple of hours.