Everglades...airboat...or dolphin excursion?

[SamsCalling]

Hi everyone

We think we're going to go to Florida for 17 nights next June/July. We were originally going to do 14, so those extra nights will come in useful for getting some extra excursions in!

I've been looking at everglades tours, airboat rides & dolphin excursions to the Florida Keys. I wondered if anyone had done anything like this, who you booked with, whether you'd recommend it, etc.

Thanks!!

[Mrs_Dazzle]

We've done airboat rides, dolphin excursions and snorkelling in the keys. Not wishing to sit on the fence :blush: , I would highly recommend them all.

Will you be staying down the southern Gulf Coast for a few days, if so you could have a go at all!

The airboat rides are fantastic - would certainly recommend Speedy Johnsons (if you do a Google search it will come up - at work so can't do it just at the mo).

Snorkelling in the Keys was beautiful - we did it from our hotel on Islamorada. Even my DH who is not a good swimmer wouldn't come out of the water. I took along one of those cheapy disposable waterproof cameras and got some fantastic photos. Turtles, rays, angel fish, amazing coloured coral :thumbs-up

Dolphin watching - have done two of these out of St Pete's beach. Both were amazing :grin: Both were half-day trips. We left in the morning, taking a picnic lunch. The first was on a yacht - The Destiny - fabulous. We sailed over to Shell Island, on the way seeing a large number of dolphins, including a mama and her baby :inlove: We then spent a couple of hours on Shell Island where we shelled - brilliant! Then another sail back, simply gorgeous.

Another year we went on the Destiny's sister motor launch which was again brilliant, especially watching the dolphins jumping next to the boat on the wake :spin: With this trip we stopped at a little place out of St Pete's called Egmont Key which was really pretty. Sat on the beach to have our picnic and then we all snorkelled from the boat.

Ah, magical days. Roll on August when we can have another go :pgig:

[Clare Fisher]

Somebody may correct me, but I believe that the Everglades will be in peak mosquito season when you go. We've been looking at it for our trip in April. I'm not sure how much this would affect a trip.

[SamsCalling]

Unfortunately we won't, so the trip will have to be from I-Drive with transportation, as we won't be having a car. Sorry, I should have said that before!!