blott
10-06-2006, 20:39
On Wednesday, we tried out something new at Boggy Creek Airboats at Southport... Boggy Creek Buggy Ride!
This was a large, all terrain vehicle with enormous tyres which is wheelchair accessible, which took us on an exciting and very interesting ride. Be warned, it's bumpy, very bumpy!
The ride lasts 40 mins and goes through a cattle ranch adjacent to Boggy Creek Airboats. There was a very knowledgeable guide who stopped and pointed out various wildlife. We were on the 4.10 pm ride.
We saw... racoons, wild deer (lots of them, they didn't run away or seem frightened, even though we were only about 20 feet away), some cattle (including some imported from India because of their climatic conditions are similar), the very first sighting (for the guide too because they're vulnerable to attack and make sure they hide) of a mother wild turkey with all her young running after her and, very best of all, a pair of bald eagles (the very best siting of all time for them too) sitting in a tree and watching us - we were about 30 feet away from them and apparently they normally take to flight if anyone comes near - we were very lucky! The 'fun' animals were four alligators (about 4 feet long and all the same family and sex - otherwise they fight apparently) in a lake and they love marshmallows. Yes, they go mad for marshmallows folks! Don't try this trick of feeding any alligators anywhere - these were all fenced in - feeding wild alligators is against the law in Florida and will get the animals the death penalty.
We were told that they would be expanding the alligator feature for next year with a much larger area and more alligators. Apparently, they will try to offer added things each year so that, if you go a second or third time, there will always be something new to see.
We also did the Air Boat Ride (for about the fifth time I think) and got the first sighting of the day of an alligator (we went on the 3.10 pm ride), lots of heron, including blue heron, some turtles and cranes but the best part (for Mum at least) was the whizzy ride around the lake and reed beds.
You can get a combo ticket for the buggy and air boats from the Southport location (but sadly not from the ticket link above - just boggy creek air boat rides on there). The buggy only happens at the Southport location which is at the end of Poinciana Boulevard.
This was a large, all terrain vehicle with enormous tyres which is wheelchair accessible, which took us on an exciting and very interesting ride. Be warned, it's bumpy, very bumpy!
The ride lasts 40 mins and goes through a cattle ranch adjacent to Boggy Creek Airboats. There was a very knowledgeable guide who stopped and pointed out various wildlife. We were on the 4.10 pm ride.
We saw... racoons, wild deer (lots of them, they didn't run away or seem frightened, even though we were only about 20 feet away), some cattle (including some imported from India because of their climatic conditions are similar), the very first sighting (for the guide too because they're vulnerable to attack and make sure they hide) of a mother wild turkey with all her young running after her and, very best of all, a pair of bald eagles (the very best siting of all time for them too) sitting in a tree and watching us - we were about 30 feet away from them and apparently they normally take to flight if anyone comes near - we were very lucky! The 'fun' animals were four alligators (about 4 feet long and all the same family and sex - otherwise they fight apparently) in a lake and they love marshmallows. Yes, they go mad for marshmallows folks! Don't try this trick of feeding any alligators anywhere - these were all fenced in - feeding wild alligators is against the law in Florida and will get the animals the death penalty.
We were told that they would be expanding the alligator feature for next year with a much larger area and more alligators. Apparently, they will try to offer added things each year so that, if you go a second or third time, there will always be something new to see.
We also did the Air Boat Ride (for about the fifth time I think) and got the first sighting of the day of an alligator (we went on the 3.10 pm ride), lots of heron, including blue heron, some turtles and cranes but the best part (for Mum at least) was the whizzy ride around the lake and reed beds.
You can get a combo ticket for the buggy and air boats from the Southport location (but sadly not from the ticket link above - just boggy creek air boat rides on there). The buggy only happens at the Southport location which is at the end of Poinciana Boulevard.