What animals will I see on an Everglades airboat tour?

Alligators (you'll see several), wading birds such as herons, egrets and anhingas, turtles, and sometimes roseate spoonbills, manatees and river otters.

Are there crocodiles in the Everglades?

Yes — the Everglades is the only place where the American alligator and the rarer American crocodile live together, though you'll almost always see alligators on an airboat tour.

Can you see manatees in the Everglades?

Sometimes — manatees frequent the deeper waterways, especially in winter. They're a lucky sighting rather than a guaranteed one on an airboat tour.

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Everglades wildlife: what you’ll see on an airboat tour

Short answer: the headline animals are American alligators (you’ll see several) and wading birds — herons, egrets, anhingas and, if you’re lucky, the pink roseate spoonbill. You may also spot turtles, river otters and, in the water, manatees. The Everglades is the only place on Earth where alligators and crocodiles live side by side.

The animals you’re almost sure to see

American alligator — the star of every tour, sunning on banks and cruising the channels.
Wading birds — great blue herons, great egrets and anhingas drying their wings.
Turtles — basking on logs along the waterline.

The lucky sightings

Roseate spoonbill — the flamingo-pink wader, a photographer’s prize.
Manatees — gentle “sea cows” in the deeper waterways, more in winter.
River otters and, very rarely, a Florida panther — the Everglades’ elusive residents.

Alligator vs crocodile

The Everglades is the only place where both the American alligator and the rarer American crocodile coexist. Alligators are dark with a broad, rounded snout; crocodiles are greyer with a narrower snout — you’ll almost always see the former from an airboat.

Plan your trip

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