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Hi Joel & Lia! Just a little info u were in Pembroke Pine, I used to live just down the road from there. Further down is Alligator Alley. I lived there from 1993-2005. It's changed a bit but that area is always changing. There is a turn where u could have gone to Hollywood, FL then to FT Lauderdale FL. In some ways I miss this place. We would go to that park at night & fish but u couldnt dangle ur feet because the alligators were right there around the docks. There used to be peacocks running around freely. I spent my 20's there so many memories thanks for bringing me back 🙂🧡💛💚💙🐊
Oh I forgot when I took the airboat tour back 8n the 90's the tour guy caught a baby gator with bread & brought it in the boat so we could see it better. I will never forget that, did u guys get to do the glass bottom tour while u were in FL,that's another amazing ride to experience 💖
There's a clan of Seminole who have actually been one of the last indigenous people to have person-to-person interactions with settlers because they were able to navigate through the everglades and avoid all contact
That's like motorcycle demonstration specialists (stunt riders) talking about close calls, and the Thunderbirds flying crossing patterns. It looks dangerous, and it could be highly dangerous if not done with skill, but when you train and don't get careless, the actual danger is minimal. Gators are actually quite predictable as far as animals go. Alligator wrestling does go back to when Seminoles first moved into Florida a couple of hundred years back and learned techniques to deal with alligators so that humans and alligators both survived most encounters.
I’m from Florida and I’ve seen the show and I’ve caught a smaller gator and they aren’t as bad as foreigners think. Yeah they will kill you but it’s up to you to be a man
Interesting thing about airboats: They were developed for the swamps because they can drive right over an alligator and do it no harm. They have completely flat bottoms and the propulsion fan at the back does not go into the water. They just skim over the water and don't harm plants or alligators. And that's why they are so fast, no water drag at all.
My grocery store carries gator meat, from February til April. It's 8 dollars a pound, my husband is obsessed with it. So far he's made gator ribs, cakes,soup, Southern fried gator, gator scampi and gator cocktail, that tastes just like shrimp. Alligator so freaking good, swamp people were on to something when they started eating them. Food ones are farmed raised tho, the packaging said the farm is in Louisiana.
I have lived in Florida since 1983 and it's so interesting to see other people's takes on these glorious creatures. I had a 14 footer in my pool when I was younger. You just get used to them living here, but you have respect for how dangerous they can be.
Fellow Floridian too...I see Gators at the local park just chilling by the water, it funny how we get used to living alongside these dinosaurs. If they are under 4 foot I pretty much ignore them.
Where I live, in the summertime, the Alligators leave the water and lay in the sun on the paths we walk. Sometimes they just wont move so we do a little grab at the tip of their tails, that gets them moving.
When I was 10, I was getting ready to get in the pool at my aunt's house when a 7-8 foot alligator walked out of the brush and slid in. I have hated Florida ever since.
Looks like you didn't go to Everglades National Park. You were in a sort of amusement park in the Everglades area. The boat ride looked like fun. But if you go back down there again, you might enjoy actually visiting the national park, where you get more of a feel for the Everglades as a natural environment, and you're more likely to see alligators in their natural habitat.
@@drewpamon They were in the wetland, but I don't think it's that "natural" to have loud air boats zooming up and down past them, and whatever else they were doing to make it an entertaining experience.
@PerthTowne the air boats exist to limit the boat's impact on the area. By not having any propellers below water level they're preseving the plant life and protecting animals that might injure themselves. You do know that there are airboat tours inside the park right?
@@drewpamon I can see you want to argue about this, probably because you are involved with one of those entertainment parks. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm not interested in 20 back and forth comments. I'll state one last thing, and nothing more. If you visit Everglades National Park , you don't have to take an airboat. You can have a more "natural" experience than that, if you choose to. I would recommend that, but to each his or her own. And yes, I have been to ENP.
The driver was such a character, I know he made for a memorable experience and he seemed to like you guys as well, I can’t believe that other guy was in a pit full of alligators and stuck his head inside the gators mouth while barefoot no less
I once worked as a diver/attendant at a Seaquarium on the Gulf Coast. One of my duties was to hose out the alligator pit every morning. Another attendant would stand by with a broom to fend them off if any came my way (and bare feet gave one the best traction if an emergency exit was called for). Well, there was a mean (or hungry) gator we called Wally Gator. He would almost always make a run at me, but that wasn't what scared me. I also had to walk a six inch wide wall around the shark tank to clean that out and I was petrified at the thought of falling in. Not because of the sharks - because that tank was also home to a particularly aggressive sea turtle who was quite capable of taking off a toe or finger if given the chance. Every time I put the long handled brush into the water he'd go straight for it. Also spent some interesting quality time up close with the sea lions and dolphins (dolphins will take your hand in their teeth as a friendly dog or cat sometimes will). Good times. I understand that some Seaquarium attractions are actually experimenting with robotic dolphins to stand in for the live ones in these tourist shows. You can probably find that on utoob if you look.
We have 4 to 9-foot gators roaming round on our golf courses quite regularly, and we’re over 4 hours north of Miami. It’s SO flippin cool. Another awesome adventure! Always love your vids. Florida is the best. 🌴🌺🐊❤️
lived in West Palm county for most of 2 years. Our apartment complex had at least 4 gator infestations, and a good number of purse dogs and many cats were snacks until the gators were moved.
That driver was hilarious. It would be nice to have him be a driver for everywhere out there just for the entertainment en route to where ever you are going next.
next time you're in florida - consider driving up to silver springs - they have glass-bottom boats, monkeys in the wild (brought 100yrs ago), manatees, and more, plus a small zoo of native florida animals like panthers...a lot of movies, such as the original Tarzan films, were made there...
I'm so glad you got to the Everglades. It's definitely a one of a kind experience and you guys really seemed to enjoy it. These travel videos have been so entertaining. Thanks J & L.
This is AWESOME seeing that you guys literally are emphasizing with those of us who are Vegans. I'll never attend a show like this because I feel that no animals should be held in captivity against their will or put on exhibition.
Awww, wish you tried the gator bites and filmed it. You could of shared a small cup. I was hesitant too, but I gave it a go and they are pretty good.... they are deep fried and yes it does taste a lot like chicken. On your next FL visit, and if you have the time, give the Everglades a full tour. It is an awesome place.
@Spring Is Coming 🇺🇸 My first gator tail was at an upscale restaurant in Orlando. It was a business dinner with stuffy corporate accountants and I was the only female in the bunch. I ordered it purely for shock value, which I got, and truly liked it. Second time was a t a carnival, lesson learned.
If you’re ever in New Orleans, go on the Honey Island Swamp Tour. It is amazing. The guides are funny and you see many different kinds of animals plus a lot of alligators. We saw 7 or 8 and was told that was a slow day. I learned that day that there is a very large area for the gators, they like to stay within about a mile or less in the same area. That’s just their territory.
yep im from Sulphur La. and the Natural reserve down there towards Hackberry OMG its full.. thousands of gators sun bathing and falling off the banks into the small ravine ...
I didn't know they made air boats that large. :) I've only seen the smaller ones before. Air boats have a giant fan in the back that pushes the boat, and no propeller in the water. This is good in swamps so the propeller doesn't keep getting wrapped in vines and such.
In Louisiana we have swamp tours and stuff as well, as well as alligator hunting seasons where we can buy tags to hunt them. All of the money usually goes directly back into rescuing, studying and conserving wild game populations. Same as any native wild species. Rescue and rehab operations usually make their money through donations or tour fees like a zoo. The government makes most of it's money used in conservation efforts through hunting licenses and tags. What we are allowed to take is determined by population studies that are funded by those fees. A lot of our animals were hunted to near extinction 100 years ago, the only reason most exist today is because of farmers and hunters.
The driver was so funny, I can see why he's popular, his accent what was that, lol. When you originally mentioned you were going out on an airboat, I was thinking the small standard type where you are on top, the fan is huge loud and at your back, and while you are flying just above the water a snake or two might flip onto the boats platform, relieved this boat was quite different. Totally agree about the show, just doesn't feel right. Joel I'm surprised your family hasn't been to Gatorland up closer to Orlando, that park is huge. Great vlog guy's, Thanks for taking us along. See you soon!
We have a creek about 30 feet from our lanai that connects to mill ponds, gators cruise up and down passing thru all the time. Also: otters, king fishers, eagle for a few months out of the year, devil birds, herrings, about a zillion little lizards etc. It's like living in a safari and we love it.
Joel and Lia are such tourists, they kill me. 🤣 By the way, guys, alligator is VERY tasty (seriously). Before you leave, you should find a restaurant that serves it.
@@mayloo2137 Tastes a bit like over cooked chicken. It made me wonder if it was actually tasty but just over cooked, or if alligator is just a dry meat.
I’ve been to that Gator Park and another one in The Everglades. My dad owns condos in Surfside, near Miami Beach. He moved to Miami from Havana and lived there for 3 years. He’s lived in LA for 57 years. I’m half Cuban American and Jewish.
Y’all gotta go to myrtle beach, sc. there’s a place called Alligator Adventures where u can walk just a couple of feet above about 900-1000 alligators all living together !!!!!
California here, I love Gators and,Crocs. I used to have 1 gator, 1 Cayman and 1 croc. The croc used to sleep curled up on my shoulder. He was a baby then. Che (alligator) was my favorite. I had them until they were 3ft long and then my mom said they had to go. My 1 y/o niece used to play in their pool and mom started worrying that they might nip at her. We took them to the alligator Farm in LA. I loved them and they played well with me and my dogs. Glad you felt that the show was not gator friendly. I hate how people think it doesn't hurt them to abuse them that way. Oh I live snakes and my oldest boy had a boa constrictor, but my hubby was afraid of him so Monie had to go to the zoo. He then got a spider. Now he has tow cats because his wife didn't want it around their son. I would still like to have a gator.
The Miccosukee Indian tribe ran the show for years. Shark Valley is a wonderful spot in the Everglades. Glad you two got down there. I always thought those guys were crazy.
17:37 Most states have laws where alligators that are raised for meat, skin, or any other purpose (entertainment) have to have a release rate (usually 1 in 3 or 1 in 2) where a certain portion have to be let loose in the wild.
You two are such fun! In northern Florida is a much larger place to see alligators, The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. It has alligators, crocodiles, lemurs, all kinds of reptiles, tortoises and colorful birds. And alligator tastes just like chicken.
The baby gators like u held are most likely farm gators that will be raised for their hide and meat no different than cattle... so it's the same as sitting on a leather couch eating a burger.... the albino gators will be very well kept and shown off to spectators
I grew up there at Holiday park. Did many fishing tournaments there. It is an amazing place. As for those gators i have been messing with those my whole life to. I have even taken a kayak out where you were in the air boats. Really cool to see others visit where i grew up!
Alligator populations south of Lake Okeechobee are still recovering from Hurricane Andrew in 1992. (And possibly being hurt due to pythons and iguanas moving in in greater numbers.) You see more in central and north Florida, but if you go to Shark Alley a bit further west, you can see alligators up close from the walk/bike/tram street. In April/May you can see the babies. We happened upon the best time ever in 2018 or so. We almost never were out of earshot of the baby gator chirping, and the mothers were used to people enough that you could be within 6 feet of them and there was no drama. We also saw a soft shell turtle laying eggs literally 6 inches from the paved street along the canal.
If you’re up for another Florida nature trip you should visit the natural springs around Ocala. Small bodies of water with crystal clear water fed from natural springs, the cleanest water coming up from the aquifer. You can swim with masks and fins and it’s like your in the Caribbean Sea. I know in the springs in Crystal River manatees come in and you can swim with them. No touching though. And you can charter a guide for some great fishing or scalloping in Crystal River too.
When I lived in South Georgia, I would see a gator at least 3-4 times a week. You have to be careful where you swim, as gators will take up any body of water, to include swimming pools.
Tiger Kingdom next?!?!? I’m glad that you brought up that we have to think about the exploitation and conservation of nature. I think Tiger King brought that up.
Once they got to the show part all I could think about was tiger king. The exploitation of those poor animals is so sad. Such brave legends eating at the snack bar after seeing tiger king! Glad that place doesn’t have the same food standards as tiger king
So fun seeing you guys on the boat but I totally agree about the show. I don't like seeing harassment of animals for entertainment. It makes me so sad. I'm happy you got to see some gators in the wild 😊🐊🌴 I almost took my brother here when we drove past on the way to Key West last April.
You guys should go on the whale watch boat ride. We went in S. Carolina. When we went, the whales were showing off to us jumping out of the water. It was a fascinating trip seeing wild whales so up close.
I had the same thoughts when I was watching the clips of the alligator show. Doubt the alligator appreciated it, not to mention just a dangerous stunt to do. Wasn’t a fan of it. When I did my Everglades National Park tour, our guide was amazing. It was like a half day event and we went and walked around a deck trail within the swamp as well. We eventually went on a smaller air boat with less people with no glass or covering on the boat & it sat closer to the water. Definitely got way too close once, for my individual comfort at least, to some gators. We saw a ton. Don’t think it was dangerous but in my mind I was just picturing them jumping up to the boat. We also went through Alligator Alley.
Joel & Lia, I'm so glad you took the opportunity to visit this place. I visited one that was almost identical to this one in Ft. Lauderdale--last June, and located right on the edge of Everglades N.P. You must not have had a sample of gator bites. I had them at a little outdoor restaurant in the area of where you were, and earlier in the trip I was driving along Alligator Alley through the Miccosukee Reservation when I came upon a roadside restaurant where I sampled alligator tail. Both were really good.
I went to the Everglades as a kid, about 10 years old, and we toured in a skiff, a small flat motorboat that could maybe carry 7-8 people (it had 3 adults and 4 kids). When we got back from the tour, we went to check out the souvenir shop, then realized I had left my camera in the boat. I went back for it with a boy about a year younger and smaller than me, and as I got back off the boat with my camera onto the dock, a gator jumped out of the water and snapped at us. Apparently we looked dinner-sized.
I remember those tours from decades ago. Now several people on CZcams have gators and crocs on their property. Plus in Florida some farms that raise gators and crocs from around the world.
I would have been so stressed by the basic boat and its loud noise, probably more than by the alligators! I'm sure the boats are safe but still would have been anxiety-inducing!
I took a ride on a small airboat in the swamps near New Orleans 5 years ago. Probably saw 50 alligators at the very least. The guide even brought them to the boat so we could pet them. Definitely want to go back.
Alice lake in Gainesville, FL you canoe in the lake with them. Can see then sunbathing and then drop into the water… awesome but also a bit disconcerting! :-)
There have been alligators found in the Tennessee River. It also has 90 pound catfish. Lots of people swim in it, but I don't want to. The boat ride looked so fun.
Very cool! You two are so cute! Same thoughts went through my mind regarding the alligator show. And knew you were probably thinking the same thing! Lia, what lip gloss are you wearing? You have a beautiful mouth!! 😁
I love how Joel & Lia don't realize the Southern Hospitality they've been given by being given blue dots or stickers which allow them to see and do more. That's who we are down this way. We'll invite you to dinner and let you hold our baby alligators.
Well now, i was hoping you guys tried the Alligator bites.. i was looking forward to your reactions on that!! Dang.. you wont regret trying the fried alligator tails.. or bites.. wish i could see it..
Living here as I do in Melbourne, Florida (with a lake 40 feet past my back door and another across the street, we occasionally get alligators on the front lawn.
We have gators in Texas as well. When we go fishing in an ox bow lake off the trinity river we see tons of them. You have to pay attention or they'll snatch your stringer of fish. When we clean the fish back at camp we use an electric fillet knife,it's like a dinner bell for a few small ones,about six foot,they're waiting for the filleted carcasses.
I did one of these tours, my boat wasn't covered though. We only saw one gator and he was mostly under water. It was January so it was actually pretty cold on the water.
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Hi Joel & Lia! Just a little info u were in Pembroke Pine, I used to live just down the road from there. Further down is Alligator Alley. I lived there from 1993-2005. It's changed a bit but that area is always changing. There is a turn where u could have gone to Hollywood, FL then to FT Lauderdale FL. In some ways I miss this place. We would go to that park at night & fish but u couldnt dangle ur feet because the alligators were right there around the docks. There used to be peacocks running around freely. I spent my 20's there so many memories thanks for bringing me back 🙂🧡💛💚💙🐊
Oh I forgot when I took the airboat tour back 8n the 90's the tour guy caught a baby gator with bread & brought it in the boat so we could see it better. I will never forget that, did u guys get to do the glass bottom tour while u were in FL,that's another amazing ride to experience 💖
There's a clan of Seminole who have actually been one of the last indigenous people to have person-to-person interactions with settlers because they were able to navigate through the everglades and avoid all contact
Seminole Wind is a great song by John Anderson 👌
A Florida man inserting his face into a gator's mouth while he proclaims "I might die" to a crowd of onlookers is as American as it gets. 🤣
As Floridian as it gets, don't put all Americans in that boat lol
As an American, that was the part I was ashamed of.
That's like motorcycle demonstration specialists (stunt riders) talking about close calls, and the Thunderbirds flying crossing patterns. It looks dangerous, and it could be highly dangerous if not done with skill, but when you train and don't get careless, the actual danger is minimal. Gators are actually quite predictable as far as animals go. Alligator wrestling does go back to when Seminoles first moved into Florida a couple of hundred years back and learned techniques to deal with alligators so that humans and alligators both survived most encounters.
That reminds me of the Gator farm scene from Joe Dirt.
I’m from Florida and I’ve seen the show and I’ve caught a smaller gator and they aren’t as bad as foreigners think. Yeah they will kill you but it’s up to you to be a man
Interesting thing about airboats: They were developed for the swamps because they can drive right over an alligator and do it no harm. They have completely flat bottoms and the propulsion fan at the back does not go into the water. They just skim over the water and don't harm plants or alligators. And that's why they are so fast, no water drag at all.
Joel had a once in a lifetime opportunity to feed Lia to the Alligators!
dammit!! A missed opportunity!
@@ThoseTwoBrits1 Nah, people would miss the great banter you have with each other.
@@ThoseTwoBrits1 They would have adopted her as their queen.
🤣😆🤣 or vice versa!
My grocery store carries gator meat, from February til April. It's 8 dollars a pound, my husband is obsessed with it. So far he's made gator ribs, cakes,soup, Southern fried gator, gator scampi and gator cocktail, that tastes just like shrimp.
Alligator so freaking good, swamp people were on to something when they started eating them. Food ones are farmed raised tho, the packaging said the farm is in Louisiana.
I have lived in Florida since 1983 and it's so interesting to see other people's takes on these glorious creatures. I had a 14 footer in my pool when I was younger. You just get used to them living here, but you have respect for how dangerous they can be.
agreed! Alligators should be respected, and avoided... them things *can* be very quick when they want to be.
Fellow Floridian too...I see Gators at the local park just chilling by the water, it funny how we get used to living alongside these dinosaurs. If they are under 4 foot I pretty much ignore them.
Where I live, in the summertime, the Alligators leave the water and lay in the sun on the paths we walk. Sometimes they just wont move so we do a little grab at the tip of their tails, that gets them moving.
When I took a tour the driver took us to a remote area and he cut the engine and literally 30 alligators rose out of nowhere and it was incredible
When I was 10, I was getting ready to get in the pool at my aunt's house when a 7-8 foot alligator walked out of the brush and slid in. I have hated Florida ever since.
Looks like you didn't go to Everglades National Park. You were in a sort of amusement park in the Everglades area. The boat ride looked like fun. But if you go back down there again, you might enjoy actually visiting the national park, where you get more of a feel for the Everglades as a natural environment, and you're more likely to see alligators in their natural habitat.
The swamp aligators were just as much in their natural habitat.
@@drewpamon They were in the wetland, but I don't think it's that "natural" to have loud air boats zooming up and down past them, and whatever else they were doing to make it an entertaining experience.
@PerthTowne the air boats exist to limit the boat's impact on the area. By not having any propellers below water level they're preseving the plant life and protecting animals that might injure themselves. You do know that there are airboat tours inside the park right?
@@drewpamon I can see you want to argue about this, probably because you are involved with one of those entertainment parks. Nothing wrong with that, but I'm not interested in 20 back and forth comments. I'll state one last thing, and nothing more. If you visit Everglades National Park , you don't have to take an airboat. You can have a more "natural" experience than that, if you choose to. I would recommend that, but to each his or her own. And yes, I have been to ENP.
The driver was such a character, I know he made for a memorable experience and he seemed to like you guys as well, I can’t believe that other guy was in a pit full of alligators and stuck his head inside the gators mouth while barefoot no less
I once worked as a diver/attendant at a Seaquarium on the Gulf Coast. One of my duties was to hose out the alligator pit every morning. Another attendant would stand by with a broom to fend them off if any came my way (and bare feet gave one the best traction if an emergency exit was called for). Well, there was a mean (or hungry) gator we called Wally Gator. He would almost always make a run at me, but that wasn't what scared me. I also had to walk a six inch wide wall around the shark tank to clean that out and I was petrified at the thought of falling in. Not because of the sharks - because that tank was also home to a particularly aggressive sea turtle who was quite capable of taking off a toe or finger if given the chance. Every time I put the long handled brush into the water he'd go straight for it. Also spent some interesting quality time up close with the sea lions and dolphins (dolphins will take your hand in their teeth as a friendly dog or cat sometimes will). Good times.
I understand that some Seaquarium attractions are actually experimenting with robotic dolphins to stand in for the live ones in these tourist shows. You can probably find that on utoob if you look.
@@paintedjaguar sounds like cleaning time was stressful and potentially fatal, they should pay employees hazard pay lol
@@AnonYmous-qq2vo The sea lions got all the fish they could eat.
We have 4 to 9-foot gators roaming round on our golf courses quite regularly, and we’re over 4 hours north of Miami. It’s SO flippin cool. Another awesome adventure! Always love your vids. Florida is the best. 🌴🌺🐊❤️
You still play through, right?
lived in West Palm county for most of 2 years. Our apartment complex had at least 4 gator infestations, and a good number of purse dogs and many cats were snacks until the gators were moved.
I think this is my favorite Joel & Lia video since it is so out of your usual element! Loved it.
That driver was hilarious. It would be nice to have him be a driver for everywhere out there just for the entertainment en route to where ever you are going next.
next time you're in florida - consider driving up to silver springs - they have glass-bottom boats, monkeys in the wild (brought 100yrs ago), manatees, and more, plus a small zoo of native florida animals like panthers...a lot of movies, such as the original Tarzan films, were made there...
I love silver springs state park! That’s in Ocala right? Used to live there for while and got to go on the glass boats!
You can see Monkeys at the Park N Fly in Ft Lauderdale, there's a large population in Dania, wild.
I'm so glad you got to the Everglades. It's definitely a one of a kind experience and you guys really seemed to enjoy it. These travel videos have been so entertaining. Thanks J & L.
This is AWESOME seeing that you guys literally are emphasizing with those of us who are Vegans. I'll never attend a show like this because I feel that no animals should be held in captivity against their will or put on exhibition.
I felt so bad for those gators!
Lia's legs were like, "jelly?" I thought they would be like jam.
Awww, wish you tried the gator bites and filmed it. You could of shared a small cup. I was hesitant too, but I gave it a go and they are pretty good.... they are deep fried and yes it does taste a lot like chicken. On your next FL visit, and if you have the time, give the Everglades a full tour. It is an awesome place.
Gator is good but it has to be cooked correctly, otherwise you can lose a tooth. So....do not eat it at a carnival. Stick to funnel cakes.
@Spring Is Coming 🇺🇸 My first gator tail was at an upscale restaurant in Orlando. It was a business dinner with stuffy corporate accountants and I was the only female in the bunch. I ordered it purely for shock value, which I got, and truly liked it. Second time was a t a carnival, lesson learned.
Yeah, they should have tried the gator. With some key lime pie of course.
I was wondering if you would make it to the Everglades while you were here, awesome! Glad you got to see our natural treasure!!
If you’re ever in New Orleans, go on the Honey Island Swamp Tour. It is amazing. The guides are funny and you see many different kinds of animals plus a lot of alligators. We saw 7 or 8 and was told that was a slow day. I learned that day that there is a very large area for the gators, they like to stay within about a mile or less in the same area. That’s just their territory.
yep im from Sulphur La. and the Natural reserve down there towards Hackberry OMG its full.. thousands of gators sun bathing and falling off the banks into the small ravine ...
The moral of this story is don't become a nuisance.
Glad you Brits got to see some big gators and had a cool driver.
We really need to get Joel and Lia down here in New Orleans
I didn't know they made air boats that large. :) I've only seen the smaller ones before.
Air boats have a giant fan in the back that pushes the boat, and no propeller in the water. This is good in swamps so the propeller doesn't keep getting wrapped in vines and such.
As a non- traveler I live through the Joel and Lia videos of they're travels. It's so enjoyable and free!!!
Gator is 50/50 chicken and fish. I love tail bites with a spicy remoulade.
In Louisiana we have swamp tours and stuff as well, as well as alligator hunting seasons where we can buy tags to hunt them. All of the money usually goes directly back into rescuing, studying and conserving wild game populations. Same as any native wild species. Rescue and rehab operations usually make their money through donations or tour fees like a zoo. The government makes most of it's money used in conservation efforts through hunting licenses and tags. What we are allowed to take is determined by population studies that are funded by those fees. A lot of our animals were hunted to near extinction 100 years ago, the only reason most exist today is because of farmers and hunters.
This looked amazing! I'm with you two, when the guide got that close to the gator, I thought that's too much.
The driver was so funny, I can see why he's popular, his accent what was that, lol. When you originally mentioned you were going out on an airboat, I was thinking the small standard type where you are on top, the fan is huge loud and at your back, and while you are flying just above the water a snake or two might flip onto the boats platform, relieved this boat was quite different. Totally agree about the show, just doesn't feel right. Joel I'm surprised your family hasn't been to Gatorland up closer to Orlando, that park is huge. Great vlog guy's, Thanks for taking us along. See you soon!
We have a creek about 30 feet from our lanai that connects to mill ponds, gators cruise up and down passing thru all the time. Also: otters, king fishers, eagle for a few months out of the year, devil birds, herrings, about a zillion little lizards etc. It's like living in a safari and we love it.
Joel and Lia are such tourists, they kill me. 🤣 By the way, guys, alligator is VERY tasty (seriously). Before you leave, you should find a restaurant that serves it.
I tried alligator last summer. Found it lean and a bit dry. Was that your experience?
@@mayloo2137 Tastes a bit like over cooked chicken. It made me wonder if it was actually tasty but just over cooked, or if alligator is just a dry meat.
It’s more like turtle or snake than chicken.
I’ve been to that Gator Park and another one in The Everglades. My dad owns condos in Surfside, near Miami Beach. He moved to Miami from Havana and lived there for 3 years. He’s lived in LA for 57 years. I’m half Cuban American and Jewish.
Y’all gotta go to myrtle beach, sc. there’s a place called Alligator Adventures where u can walk just a couple of feet above about 900-1000 alligators all living together !!!!!
California here, I love Gators and,Crocs. I used to have 1 gator, 1 Cayman and 1 croc. The croc used to sleep curled up on my shoulder. He was a baby then. Che (alligator) was my favorite. I had them until they were 3ft long and then my mom said they had to go. My 1 y/o niece used to play in their pool and mom started worrying that they might nip at her. We took them to the alligator Farm in LA. I loved them and they played well with me and my dogs.
Glad you felt that the show was not gator friendly. I hate how people think it doesn't hurt them to abuse them that way.
Oh I live snakes and my oldest boy had a boa constrictor, but my hubby was afraid of him so Monie had to go to the zoo. He then got a spider. Now he has tow cats because his wife didn't want it around their son.
I would still like to have a gator.
Darlings, you simply Must have a cocktail whilst watching the sunset in Key West.
Over a slice of Key lime pie.
And boat ride to Fort Jefferson! Love Key West!
Fried Gator is delicious. Most other ways are dicey, although I understand slow-smoked whole gator isn't bad.
The Everglades are beautiful. The mosquitos in summer are awful.
Toilet paper in purse….what a Bloopa! Love it!! Go to Florida beaches, always great food, especially fish like red Snapper, Grouper, Redfish.🌟
The Miccosukee Indian tribe ran the show for years. Shark Valley is a wonderful spot in the Everglades. Glad you two got down there. I always thought those guys were crazy.
17:37 Most states have laws where alligators that are raised for meat, skin, or any other purpose (entertainment) have to have a release rate (usually 1 in 3 or 1 in 2) where a certain portion have to be let loose in the wild.
You two are such fun! In northern Florida is a much larger place to see alligators, The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Zoological Park. It has alligators, crocodiles, lemurs, all kinds of reptiles, tortoises and colorful birds. And alligator tastes just like chicken.
Houston TX has alligators too at Brazos Bend State Park.
The baby gators like u held are most likely farm gators that will be raised for their hide and meat no different than cattle... so it's the same as sitting on a leather couch eating a burger.... the albino gators will be very well kept and shown off to spectators
Haha, love the opening! The tour guide was hilarious. What a fun day!
I bought 1 of these tours for my hubby last July, but he never used it. So he passed it on to my niece that lives in Miami and never been.
I grew up there at Holiday park. Did many fishing tournaments there. It is an amazing place. As for those gators i have been messing with those my whole life to. I have even taken a kayak out where you were in the air boats. Really cool to see others visit where i grew up!
Alligator populations south of Lake Okeechobee are still recovering from Hurricane Andrew in 1992. (And possibly being hurt due to pythons and iguanas moving in in greater numbers.) You see more in central and north Florida, but if you go to Shark Alley a bit further west, you can see alligators up close from the walk/bike/tram street. In April/May you can see the babies. We happened upon the best time ever in 2018 or so. We almost never were out of earshot of the baby gator chirping, and the mothers were used to people enough that you could be within 6 feet of them and there was no drama. We also saw a soft shell turtle laying eggs literally 6 inches from the paved street along the canal.
Love seeing the gators in their natural habitat! Like you, I'm not into the show, but living in Florida is wonderful for us nature lovers.
12:49 that's what she said... literally
I live in central Florida and gators are just a part of life here
If you’re up for another Florida nature trip you should visit the natural springs around Ocala. Small bodies of water with crystal clear water fed from natural springs, the cleanest water coming up from the aquifer. You can swim with masks and fins and it’s like your in the Caribbean Sea. I know in the springs in Crystal River manatees come in and you can swim with them. No touching though. And you can charter a guide for some great fishing or scalloping in Crystal River too.
Geeeze for a second I thought James Earl Jones was your driver! 🤣
When I lived in South Georgia, I would see a gator at least 3-4 times a week. You have to be careful where you swim, as gators will take up any body of water, to include swimming pools.
I can only concentrate on Lia so darn gorgeous! LOL love that accent and she is so cute!
Love fried Gator! Lived in West Palm Beach for many years, Everglades always made me nervous especially having to travel alligator alley at night 😰
We have one that comes to Shands Pier on the St.Johns river in Orangedale, Florida. The local kids call him Frankie.
Tiger Kingdom next?!?!?
I’m glad that you brought up that we have to think about the exploitation and conservation of nature. I think Tiger King brought that up.
Once they got to the show part all I could think about was tiger king. The exploitation of those poor animals is so sad. Such brave legends eating at the snack bar after seeing tiger king! Glad that place doesn’t have the same food standards as tiger king
Having a pet bird so close to gators? Sounds smart! 🙃
I kept expecting a gator to come up from under and grab a bird. All part of the show, folks!
What a great little tour. You can't go wrong with gator tail. It's delicious.
Absolutely loved it! So glad that you enjoyed it. May have to check it out next time that I’m in the area. You are such influencers 😄😄
Thank you so much Donnie! It was our favourite day out of the trip!!
So fun seeing you guys on the boat but I totally agree about the show. I don't like seeing harassment of animals for entertainment. It makes me so sad. I'm happy you got to see some gators in the wild 😊🐊🌴 I almost took my brother here when we drove past on the way to Key West last April.
You guys should go on the whale watch boat ride. We went in S. Carolina. When we went, the whales were showing off to us jumping out of the water. It was a fascinating trip seeing wild whales so up close.
We have done that before. The boat was more open than the one you were on. But it was the same exact location.
That cabbie was too much! 😆
I had the same thoughts when I was watching the clips of the alligator show. Doubt the alligator appreciated it, not to mention just a dangerous stunt to do. Wasn’t a fan of it.
When I did my Everglades National Park tour, our guide was amazing. It was like a half day event and we went and walked around a deck trail within the swamp as well. We eventually went on a smaller air boat with less people with no glass or covering on the boat & it sat closer to the water. Definitely got way too close once, for my individual comfort at least, to some gators. We saw a ton. Don’t think it was dangerous but in my mind I was just picturing them jumping up to the boat.
We also went through Alligator Alley.
Joel & Lia, I'm so glad you took the opportunity to visit this place. I visited one that was almost identical to this one in Ft. Lauderdale--last June, and located right on the edge of Everglades N.P.
You must not have had a sample of gator bites. I had them at a little outdoor restaurant in the area of where you were, and earlier in the trip I was driving along Alligator Alley through the Miccosukee Reservation when I came upon a roadside restaurant where I sampled alligator tail. Both were really good.
I went to the Everglades as a kid, about 10 years old, and we toured in a skiff, a small flat motorboat that could maybe carry 7-8 people (it had 3 adults and 4 kids). When we got back from the tour, we went to check out the souvenir shop, then realized I had left my camera in the boat. I went back for it with a boy about a year younger and smaller than me, and as I got back off the boat with my camera onto the dock, a gator jumped out of the water and snapped at us. Apparently we looked dinner-sized.
I remember those tours from decades ago. Now several people on CZcams have gators and crocs on their property. Plus in Florida some farms that raise gators and crocs from around the world.
Good going, Joel and Lia. It's about time you saw some of the nature in Florida!
9:40 I sat in those exact seats when I was just a wee lad
I would have been so stressed by the basic boat and its loud noise, probably more than by the alligators! I'm sure the boats are safe but still would have been anxiety-inducing!
Same!! They're so open arghh
Took the boat ride last year It is sooo much fun
I took a ride on a small airboat in the swamps near New Orleans 5 years ago. Probably saw 50 alligators at the very least. The guide even brought them to the boat so we could pet them. Definitely want to go back.
Alice lake in Gainesville, FL you canoe in the lake with them. Can see then sunbathing and then drop into the water… awesome but also a bit disconcerting! :-)
You haven't lived until you've learned to water ski in an alligator infested river! Trust me...you learn how to stay on your skis REAL quick!!! 😆
That park is going to the show called Gator Boys
Great vid! Loving the Florida/Miami series!
There have been alligators found in the Tennessee River. It also has 90 pound catfish. Lots of people swim in it, but I don't want to. The boat ride looked so fun.
Very cool! You two are so cute! Same thoughts went through my mind regarding the alligator show. And knew you were probably thinking the same thing! Lia, what lip gloss are you wearing? You have a beautiful mouth!! 😁
I love how Joel & Lia don't realize the Southern Hospitality they've been given by being given blue dots or stickers which allow them to see and do more. That's who we are down this way. We'll invite you to dinner and let you hold our baby alligators.
Well now, i was hoping you guys tried the Alligator bites.. i was looking forward to your reactions on that!! Dang.. you wont regret trying the fried alligator tails.. or bites.. wish i could see it..
I live on the west coast (so we don't have alligators or air boats) but that still looks like a legit nice tour! Way to go, viewer who recommended it!
I love the way you guys say Albino!!
Living here as I do in Melbourne, Florida (with a lake 40 feet past my back door and another across the street, we occasionally get alligators on the front lawn.
And alligators are so delicious. We eat them in Louisiana.
Animals also figure out the tour boats feed them to lure them (the ones I’ve been on anyway). That ups the odds of them showing up.
"I wonder what happens to the baby ones once they grow up"
Said while seated at a restaurant that serves alligator on their menu.
We have gators in Texas as well.
When we go fishing in an ox bow lake off the trinity river we see tons of them.
You have to pay attention or they'll snatch your stringer of fish.
When we clean the fish back at camp we use an electric fillet knife,it's like a dinner bell for a few small ones,about six foot,they're waiting for the filleted carcasses.
Yes I’ve been to that one in 2014 I loved it. Glad you had a good time enjoy the video. Can’t wait for more
Joel and Lia on safari.
Gator tastes delicious! We have them in Texas too. One crossed the road the other day and held up traffic.
I did one of these tours, my boat wasn't covered though. We only saw one gator and he was mostly under water. It was January so it was actually pretty cold on the water.
What happens to the baby ones when they grow up? Gator bites. With Ketchup.
Love you guys
Next time, visit Gatorland in Orlando for a very close up gator experience.
Headless Harry used to do the alligator show there.
Got a little scared of the swamp chickens don’t worry they’re more friendly when they’re battered and fried xD
I could not believe they went to a national park albeit the Everglades.
You guys are so funny.
Seeing Alligators is interesting in person