For travel details, see the more information section under the story below.
You know you've arrived in Immokalee when old propane tanks become pigs and decorate the porch. Don't be fooled by the rusting stove, we're not here for a cup of coffee, rather the fiberglass gator in the weeds may give you a clue.
"This is the very northwest corner of The Everglades," says Captain Fred Robbins.
The welcoming committee out front has feathers, as parrots know how to talk. And out back, you'll find Captain Fred who offers a warning.
"If you are out floundering around on the water this time of year, you could get bit."
Welcome to Airboats and Alligators on the shores of Lake Trafford.
Here, your airboat driver doesn't need shoes, although you wouldn't want to go swimming.
"If I accidentally fell in…" I pondered aloud.
"It's not like a Tarzan movie," Captain Fred replied. "They just don't come rushing at you."
Airboats and Alligators, the attraction is rightfully named because of the thousands of alligators resting on the surface of Lake Trafford east of Fort Myers.
"Are you afraid of alligators?," I asked Avery Miller.
"Kinda," she admitted.
"What could they do to you?" I probed further.
"BITE ME!" she answered definitively.
Keep your hands and legs inside the boat at all times. It doesn't take long after leaving the dock and we have our first sighting.
Lake Trafford is known to be packed with gators. Here, reptiles of all sizes can be found swimming, watching and lurking.
"We were able to see beautiful scenery to begin with and then lots and lots of wildlife," shares Renee Miller. "Not just alligators, I was surprised by the ducks, and the birds, and herons, and the osprey, and we saw a bald eagle. It was beautiful."
Renee in town from Pensacola to attend a wedding with her kids, went along for the ride.
"I am just hoping they will remember the beauty and the nature and what typical Florida nature looks like," she says of the experience.
"What do alligators do with fingers?" I ask Avery.
"Bite them," she affirms.
Meantime, little brother Dawson isn't afraid of getting too close.
"They would just swim away," the 7-year-old rationalizes.
In fact, Dawson Miller has an alligator tooth around his neck.
Pack wisely before heading out on the water. Summer afternoons here are no stranger to a wet shower.
"If you're stuck out there in it, you get wet!" Captain Fred says soaked. He kept us on the water to seek more Gators.
"It's magical. You never know what you're going to see," shares Mary Ellen Frost from North Fort Myers.
She loves the ride onto Lake Trafford. This year alone, she estimates she’ll visit about five times to behold the natural beauty and visit the good natured people at Airboats and Alligators.
"The respect the folks here have for nature," Mary Ellen shares is a reason to keep her coming back.
Back on dry ground, you can get a close look at the other reptiles.
"Would you like to hold one?" I tease a lady looking at snakes in a glass cage from several feet away
"Oh, No! No! No!" she exclaims.
"If I got it out, we could put it around your neck?" I ask.
"NO! NO! NO!" she chants adamantly.
An eastern diamondback rattlesnake and a cottonmouth are on display and quite active for our cameras.
All kidding aside, there's always something to be seen on the shores of Lake Trafford.
"Can we go again, PLEASE?" Mary Ellen concludes.
About this destination
Where: Immokalee, Collier County
Open: Call for reservations
Tickets: Varies per season. Call ahead.
Phone: 239-657-2214
Address:
6001 Lake Trafford Road
Immokalee, FL 34142
Parking: Free
Website: http://www.laketrafford.com/
Accessibility Notes:
The airboat boarding area does contain steps. Docks do not have handrails. Call for details.
GPS Coordinates:
Latitude: 26.432804
Longitude: -81.482825
Latitude: 26° 25' 58.0944"
Longitude: -81° 28' 58.17"
Drive Times:
From Tampa: 3 hours, 15 minutes
From Orlando: 3 hours, 20 minutes
Tankful on Television
You can catch new Florida on a Tankful stories each Thursday and Saturday on News 13 and Bay News 9. New editions play at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m. Classic Florida on a Tankful stories can be found each Friday and Sunday on Bay News 9 and News 13 at the end of each hour starting at 6 a.m.
Tankful on Demand
This story was part of the Florida on a Tankful Summer Road Trip. Catch the 30-minute special with Scott Fais now on Bright House Local On Demand, Channel 999. Use your remote to scroll to the right to the TRAVEL category. Then SCROLL DOWN to TANKFUL.