Lake Jessup airboat rides drive home one point: Don't feed the gators

March 10, 3:43 AMOrlando Family Travel ExaminerKen Black

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Georgette Black: Baby Gator seen from shore at Lake Jessup.

It doesn’t take long before one understands why Lake Jessup has gained its reputation as the most populated alligator lake in the entire world. Stopping at the Black Hammock Fish Camp for a recent airboat ride, it was like it was a personal Gatorland. There were three alligators we could see simply from the shoreline waiting for our turn on the airboat. They weren’t big, but we were able to see nature in action as a smaller gator honed its skills by stalking a bird at the shoreline. (It didn’t get it).

For those who want to experience a taste of the real Florida- the Florida that existed before the center portion of the state was turned into a concrete jungle filled with make-believe thrills, Black Hammock Adventures on Lake Jessup offers the best of both worlds. There’s the thrill of being pushed across the water on a flat piece of aluminum by a fan on steroids, but then there’s also huge gators, staring you down at nearly every turn.

We embarked on our half hour airboat ride on Lake Jessup having already felt somewhat satisfied that we had seen three fine, albeit small, representations of the Florida State reptile. However, within three minutes of being on the airboat ride, we were able to see much larger versions of the American Alligator. The gators we saw routinely ranged in size from 6 feet to 10 feet. Of course, there were plenty that were also much smaller.

While gators are the main attraction on Lake Jessup, they are not the only one. The lake is home to many different types of water fowl, who obviously do not mind living dangerously swimming around on the surface of the lake. Bald eagles could also be seen at a couple of different spots along the tour.

The normal airboat rides last 30 minutes and require no reservations during normal business hours. For those who want a little bit longer of a trip, those can also be arranged by reservation. Just remember to bring your camera and don’t feed the gators. Doing so could cost you an arm and a leg.

If taking your family, remember to bring jackets if going in cooler weather. Even with temperatures in the 70s, it was still cool when the boat was going at top speed. Also, for those children who are unsure about the airboat ride, try to reassure them ahead of time.

The price for adults is $23.95. For children, it is 19.95. At the end of the ride, a bonus is offered – the chance to hold a 3-year-old gator that was farm bred and raised in captivity. Still, the main attraction is seeing these magnificent creatures in the wild.

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