Wild Florida’s amazing airboat tours and animal encounters!

Get back to nature in the famous Everglades as you explore all that Wild Florida Airboats and Gator Park has to offer! With a keen focus on education and conservation, Wild Florida has been open since 2010 and prides itself on providing every guest with up-close animal encounters alongside park residents native to the US, South America, Africa and Australia. Take an exhilarating airboat tour, coo over the baby animals at the petting zoo, get hands-on at the animal encounters, burn off some energy in the kids’ playground and stop for a bite to eat at the Chomp House Grill; there’s something for everyone to enjoy as they experience the wild side of Florida!

With over 200 animals around the wheelchair-friendly park, including sloth, lemurs, bobcats and even zebras, you will be able to learn all about their lives, habitats and how the park staff care for them. With a range of hands-on experiences also available, you can get even closer to these fascinating exotic animals.

Each animal encounter includes entry to the Gator and Wildlife Park, which on its own currently costs just $10.75 per adult (13+) and $8.60 per child including tax, and infants go free! Animal encounters last around half an hour and are limited to guests aged 8 and above unless otherwise noted.

“This place is so awesome! Lots of gators and so many cute animals. It’s great for families."

Wild Florida Animal Encounters and Tours

Cross continents to meet with Stella and Safari the African Crested porcupines who are awaiting your visit, along with the tortoises and native African birds in their exhibit. If you are looking for a more sedate way of life, why not make a booking to experience the Sloth Encounter with the two-toed sloths at the site’s South American exhibit, and take a few photos with the infamously slow-moving critters? If you want to hold a sloth there is currently the time-limited opportunity to book the VIP Sloth Experience, where you can also feed and interact with your new furry friend! Stay in South America for the Tamandua Encounter and meet with the park residents Kiki and Mango. Take the opportunity to be a part of their daily enrichment programme by feeding them ants, which like their anteater relatives, their long tongues will seek out in no time!

If members of your party are aged 12 and over then you might want to book the Ring-tailed Lemur Experience and meet with the highly endangered Madagascan natives, or feed the alligators at the Gator Encounter. Get snappy and book up for this special experience, or if you are aged 16 and over, try your hand at the Albino Gator Training Encounter – a great opportunity to see some of the earth’s rarest alligators. With less than 20 in the world, there are two at the Park – Blizzard and Snowflake – who you will give instructions to as part of their daily training and enrichment programme, and reward afterwards with their favourite snacks!

Although you can explore the park at your own pace, looking at the animals and chatting to the helpful park staff, there is also the opportunity to book up for some more hands-on and guided experiences that will help to enhance your day. Enjoy the Behind the Scenes Tour, which is available to all guests aged eight and over. Get a guided tour of the park with one of the knowledgeable keepers and feed the alligators as well as various other animals. You’ll also see a private alligator demonstration, as well as a close-up encounter with one of the parks exotic animals!

“This is the most Florida experience I've had while here. The staff were all so nice and very knowledgeable. We got to hold a baby gator, a snake, lizards, feed a deer and alligators! A very special day for sure!”

If you have ever dreamed of working with wild animals, then why not be a Keeper for a Day? Designed for those guests aged 12 and over this is a great opportunity to learn more about the routine of the animals, and what a career in a wildlife park would entail. Work with a keeper and prepare the meals for the animals, feed them, help with the enrichment and training programmes, and get a private alligator demonstration as well as a photo of you holding your new snappy pal! Don’t forget to feed the hungry horde of gators their favourite food! This will be followed by an hour-long airboat tour around the Everglades swamps, and a delicious barbecue lunch to reward you for all of your hard work!

Wild Florida Airboat Rides

The Airboat Tours that run at Wild Florida are a great way to see the unspoilt areas of the Everglades. Glide across the water and protected swamps in your coastguard-approved airboat, while watching out for the native Floridian residents, such as wild boar, spoonbills, turkeys, eagles and alligators, all pointed out to you by the experienced pilots. There is no age limit for the airboat tours, but you should book ahead to avoid disappointment. With a range of evening and daytime tours, lasting either 30 minutes or an hour, available you will see something different every time you venture out. It’s also worth remembering that if you book an airboat tour you also get admission to the Gator Park and a hands-on alligator demonstration!

If you have a minimum of four people in your group, you might want to book a private tour, where you can enjoy a personalised trip to see all of the things that you are most interested in. During the night tours, watch as the swamp comes to life and the alligators come out to play!

Please call us on 01892 836822 to book your airboat ride with Wild Florida!

“The airboat ride was awesome! Our driver was great. He knew a lot about the Florida wildlife. We got to see gators, birds, fish, turtles, a bald eagle, a blue heron, a deer, and even cows! We booked an airboat ride here, not realising that there is a little zoo here too!”

Eating at Wild Florida

If you want to grab a bite to eat, and aren’t booked on for the Keeper for a Day experience there are other options for your lunch! Although you are allowed to bring your own food and drink onsite, if you’d rather get something freshly prepared for you, have a taste of the reasonably-priced offerings at the Chomp House Grill. With mains, sides and desserts, as well as a kids menu, there is bound to be something for everyone! Treat yourself to the signature Swamp Slushy or if you are feeling adventurous, munch on the Swamp Platter – which includes a range of meats including alligator, catfish and frogs’ legs. For more regular options, the Chomp House Burger with Two Sides might appeal, or even the Philly Cheesesteak and Two Sides. A menu can be found on the Wild Florida site here and is bound to get your mouth watering!

If you want to tie together an animal experience and lunch, then check out the Dine With Crusher Experience. This is suitable for guests aged 12 and over and includes lunch served up near to the park’s famous 14ft long alligator, Crusher. As you dine you will learn all about Crusher’s life from his trainer, before feeding him one of his favourite snacks! Lunch options include the Crusher Burger – a yummy 8oz sirloin burger topped with Colby Jack cheese, onions, house sauce, guacamole, a fried egg and served with two sides and a drink! You won’t be able to move after munching your way through the lunchtime feast!

A visit to Wild Florida promises to be a fascinating experience for all the family, with plenty of chances to get up-close to a number of animals you might not have seen in real life before, as well the opportunity to take an exhilarating trip through the world-famous Everglades. Be sure to book ahead for any animal encounters and airboat tours, as availability is limited and you don’t want to be disappointed!

If you have ever been to Wild Florida we’d love to hear from you – do you have any special memories or photos that you’d like to share with us? Get in touch using our social media channels!

Wild Florida address:

3301 Lake Cypress Road, Kenansville, Florida, FL34739.

Opening hours:

Monday–Saturday: 9am – 6pm

www.wildfloridaairboats.com