Snip snip snappy

Today we had a dangerous mission.

We went on an alligator hunt. Well, more like an alligator sightseeing tour.

At 2 pm we were picked up by a transfer bus. We booked the tour with a company called Banana Joe. According to our research, they were one of the few companies that offer this tour with pick-up service. Another plus is that the tour is conducted by a German tour guide.

A small bus, unmistakably labeled with Banana Joe, arrived punctually at our hotel. A woman named Karin greeted us warmly. As it quickly turned out, she had emigrated from Zurich. You travel halfway around the world and can still speak Swiss German. What a coincidence.

The journey to Everglades Holiday Park took about 45 minutes with a stop at another hotel along the way.

During the ride, Karin told us many interesting things about the Everglades and Florida, as well as her personal story. The journey time flew by.

When we arrived at the park, Karin took care of the tickets for the airboat while we could explore a little bit.

Only 10 minutes later, it was already time to go.

Diligently, Karin translated the information given by the airboat driver to us.

So we sped out into the Everglades at full speed for 5-10 minutes.

And there it was! After less than 15 minutes, we saw the first alligator.

With a respectful distance, we took our photos and marveled at the animal with many oohs and aahs.

The second one was a bit braver and even swam up to our boat.

We were dangerously close to its 80 razor-sharp teeth.

Occasionally, our captain stopped the boat and told us about the flora and fauna of our surroundings. The birds also didn't miss out. Hungry, they picked the bread out of our hands. He even showed us how to quickly make a necklace out of an Everglade flower. But it only lasts for about 5 hours.

After we returned to the station, we continued with an alligator show.

Chris, our showmaster/alligator wrangler, gave us a lot more information about the animals. He also demonstrated how the Gator Boys would catch the alligators. As the crowning finale of the show, he put his hand in the alligator's mouth and held it open with his head. Spectacular!

After that, we were able to take a photo with a baby alligator. Contrary to expectations, its belly was soft like pudding.

A photo before the airboat ride and with the mini alligator were included in the price.

We booked this tour as a package, which includes transfer, airboat ride, alligator show, and the photos. If we had paid for everything separately, it would have been about $30 more per person. So it's definitely worth it!

What we wanted to mention is the Gator Boys.

All the alligators in this park were rescued.

Alligators are not always afraid of humans and have their established territory. So if their territory happens to be on a golf course, then that's where the golf course is. People and animals occasionally come across each other. Other companies kill these animals. However, the Gator Boys catch them and give them a new habitat. Thumbs up for these brave people!

After we returned to the hotel, we went straight to a Cuban restaurant to spend our last evening.