Okay, so I finally made it to the Gulf Coast Gator Ranch & Tours! I’ve been wanting to check this place out for ages, you know, see some real-life alligators up close. First thing I did was look up their operating hours – gotta make sure I don’t show up when they’re closed, right?
Then, I checked out the directions. It’s a bit of a drive from where I am, so I made sure to map it all out. I even looked at the route on my phone a few times just to be absolutely sure. Didn’t want to get lost on some backwoods road!
The Arrival
When I got there, the first thing that hit me was the humidity. Wow! But, hey, it’s a swamp tour, so what did I expect? I parked the car, grabbed my camera, and headed towards the entrance. I paid for my ticket – it was a pretty reasonable price, I thought.
The Tour Begins!
We all gathered around, and this super enthusiastic guide started telling us about the alligators, their habitat, and some safety rules. Basic stuff, like don’t stick your hands in the water, don’t dangle your feet over the edge of the boat… you know, common sense things. But, I guess some people need to be told!
We hopped onto this airboat, which was way cooler than I expected. It’s basically a giant fan strapped to the back of a flat-bottomed boat. Thing was loud, though! Once we got going, it was a blast! We were skimming over the water, wind in our hair. We saw all sorts of birds and plants, and the guide pointed out all kinds of stuff that I would have totally missed.
Gator Time!
And then, the moment we were all waiting for…gators! We saw tons of them. Some were just little guys, sunning themselves on logs. Others were HUGE, like, seriously prehistoric-looking monsters. They’d just be chilling in the water, watching us go by. A little creepy, but mostly just awe-inspiring. The guide even tossed some marshmallows into the water (apparently, gators love ’em), and we got to see them chomp down. Pretty wild!
- Saw Baby Gators
- Saw Big Gators
- Watched a gator eat a marshmellow
Wrapping Up
After the airboat ride, we got to walk around a bit and see some more gators in enclosures. They even had a little show where they talked more about the gators and let us get a closer look. I even saw a baby aligator!
All in all, it was a fantastic day. I snapped a bunch of pictures, learned a lot, and got to experience something totally new. It was a great adventure. If you’re ever in the area, I definitely recommend checking it out!
