Tom’s Airboat Adventure at the Saint John’s River Nature Preserve

Two day’s after Tom and Megan arrived in Florida, we took an airboat tour of the lower Saint John’s River nature reserve.

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The air boat propeller was just behind our heads, so we had to wear protection for our ears while the boat was moving.

Water buffalo?

No, swamp cattle! The cattle are allowed to run loose in the nature preserve wandering about the land and the water even though there are lots of alligators. Apparently, the gators don’t bother the cattle (even the young ones are too large for a gator to digest).

Soon, we came alongside two roseate spoonbills searching the river bottom for shrimp.

Generally, the birds cooperate; but, they can also be territorial.

The birds allowed us to get quite close to them as they looked for shrimp along the shore or searched through the reeds.

Of course, there were many birds that we could get close to including a great heron.

On a hot sunny day, how better to pass the time than lying in the sun?

The river gradually becomes a shallow swamp full of cypress trees. The water is full of tannin released by the cypress which makes the water highly reflective.

Captain John explained how the cypress swamp developed.

There were four osprey eagles on top of adjoining cypress.

Gulls congregate on shallow islands; but the air boat can ride right over these islands scattering the gulls.

The relaxed warm sunny 90 minute tour full of explanations from Captain John was very enjoyable.