Excellent, fun, educational and professional. My sister, my son, and I had a Great time seeing and learning about alligators and wildlife. I strongly recommend coming out. We really appreciate their expertise. What a fun day we had! read more

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We all had a great time. Everyone was very nice and personable. Great ride on airboat, everyone got to hold baby gator and the jewelry was hand made and beautiful and not overpriced. read more

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Fun times, but only because the business is so dysfunctional and we had a good sense of humor about it all. The son mans the front desk, hates and is afraid of alligators??!?! Didn't see any alligators on airboat ride across 2 rides. Highlight was owner pointing out doll parts in the swamp as if they were real. Bonus: brought up coupon for "free group portrait." The Son goes, sure, give me your iPhone and I'll take a pic. LOL! read more

Our fun loving aunt wanted to take an airboat tour while we were visiting Florida, and Captain Fred's was just the ticket. I've never been a huge fan of gators, but Ms. Rachel's explanation of how truly amazing they are, was perfect. Very informative, and even though I wasn't about getting close to the gators, my family loved getting to hold them! So crazy cool! Captain Joe was a fun trip on our airboat ride. You can just feel the passion their crew has for all nature, including plants, birds, and of course the gators. We saw a couple gators, lots of birds, a rather large snake, and a bald eagles nest with young eagles. Can't recommend this tour enough! Thank you for such a fun experience! read more

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To begin, Rachael took us out in the back porch and showed us three different alligators that were of increasing ages. She was very helpful and knowledgeable about everything gator-related. You were able to hold and/or pet each gator if you wanted and take pictures as well. After Rachael, Fred took us onto the boat and drove us around the lake. He stopped dozens of times and pointed out various wildlife. We saw over a dozen alligators, plenty of birds (including Bald eagles), and flowers/plants. The extent of their knowledge and ability to answer any question that was thrown their way made this experience second to none. We will for sure be bringing guests here to share our experience. read more

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We had an appointment for 8 people. Called twice and spoke with them both times. We showed up and they were shocked they had a 4 o'clock appointment. Told us the boat wasn't working, but seems suspect since they weren't expecting us. read more

We called. Scheduled. Spoke on the phone. Twice. And just like the other reviews they never called us back or showed up. So shady. I'm not sure what's happening here. Beware. I wouldn't drive there and count on them being there. read more

Captain Joe and Ms Rachel were both awesome!! Great tour and we learned so much about birds, fish and of course, gators:) it was a cold day and we were not dressed warm enough, but they had jackets for us to wear; which was so considerate! There were some signs up protesting the tour along the way which was kind of sad to see, but , I see no harm in their airboat operation. They are very respectful of the lake as well as the animals. The boats are a bit loud , but what motorized boat isn't?! Well worth the money. read more

My wife and I had a great time with Captain Fred's airboat! They were really welcoming and accommodating, they were willing to take just the two of us out even though no one else had booked. The captain gave a very educational tour, and let us hold young gators when we got back! I would highly recommend coming here! Thank you guys for a great first airboat experience! read more

Captain Fred's Airboat Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Lake Hamilton, Florida

Wonderful! The airboat tour was great... beautiful scenery, the boat was clean and well maintained, but most of all, our guide/pilot was highly entertaining! He is very knowledgeable and gave a lot of great information about the local ecosystem and wildlife... clearly a man that loves and respects nature! A big bonus that I did not know about (the other people in my party did) was after the ride. We not only did we have a great information and Q&A session about the local alligators, but we got to hold one! The instructor was very professional and careful, no risk of any kind of accident. I really enjoyed ever part of this adventure! read more

From holding the alligators to the airboat ride, it was an awesome experience. They accommodated our party of 7 with ease. Very friendly and explained lots of areas in the lake. Highly recommend! read more

Captain Fred's Airboat Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Lake Hamilton, Florida

What a great adventure! Went with two friends on the airboat ride. Captain Joe was our guide. He was very safe and well versed in the animals around the large lake area. We saw many birds including a nesting eagle. We also saw many large alligators. He was able to share information about the people of the area and funny stories along the ride. Highly recommend Captain Joe and the airboat adventure. read more

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We went 6 years ago and really enjoyed ourselves so decided to go with them again and it was even better than before. Highly recommend Captain Fred's! read more

My group had a reservation for today at 11am. According to their hours they open at 9, we showed up at 10:30, and the doors were locked with the blinds shut, "closed" sign in the window, and nobody to be found. We were finally able to reach them by phone and they said they had left to go to the bank, but nobody informed us of this and there wasn't a note in the window or anything to let us know that they were even going to be open today. So after waiting in the parking lot for 10 minutes we cancelled our reservation and left. read more

I tools ride this week. Ride went smooth. I saw alligators, birds, bald eagle and overall it was an exciting boat ride even with nagging kid in our boat. My wife enjoyed the ride and holding the baby alligator after the ride. The captain was very informative and performed excellent boat maneuvers. It was worth the $40/person. I paid cash read more

An authentic experience! Great people and an excellent time! Enjoyed learning about the alligators, getting to hold a few and a great airboat ride. read more

Awesome time out on the water with Captain Rachael. She is very knowledgeable about all things airboat and lake. Afterwards a great experience with the gators that I totally didn't expect but thoroughly enjoyed! Rachael is a great guide and teacher! read more

Had a great time at Fred's airboat tours and definitely going to go back. The staff was very courteous, friendly and knowledgable! read more

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The guide was entertaining, provided lots of information, she knew her stuff, and great price.

I have been on several airboat rides in the area and have to say I would not return to this one. It is a one-person operation with no one to man the phones while she is on a a tour. We had an 1130 tour time but got there early and she told us her scheduler had double booked and come back at 1p. We were ok with that but when we came back, she was still on a tour so we waited on the porch. She was cordial when she came back and got us signed up and gave us life jackets. Then she had to gas up the boat and 3 other people arrived so she had to get them signed up. After many "there's one ... there's one" I was beginning to think it was a scam. She said "y'all need to look EVERYWHERE or you're going to miss them". Now ... remember you have headphones on for the noise and when she says "there's one over there" I'd have to turn around to see where she was pointing. I had my 5 & 6 yr old grandchildren so I was trying to point out what she was saying. Prior to going in she stopped the boat and gave a speech about how we should respect that she's on the boat and not be pointing stuff out. WOW! The "nature center" advertised is you get to hold a small alligator... which was AWESOME! But for $188 for 2 adults and 2 children, I'll drive to Kissimmee. read more

Took some friends here that came on vacation. It was an awesome time. Randy is a great captain! It was very relaxing and peaceful. Water was beautiful. Will def return. read more

Great airboat tour in Winter Haven. Captain Wayne was a wealth of knowledge about the local flora and fauna. Even on a windy day we saw an Alligator, Otter, Turtles, and several species of birds including bald eagles in their nest. Our tour was followed by a baby alligator presentation. You are allowed to hold the little guys! read more

Captain Fred's Airboat Tours - Baby Victor (age one) - Boat Tours Near Me - Lake Hamilton, Florida

Absolutely terrible experience. The driver was rude and made the experience incredibly uncomfortable. I couldn't recommend this place less.

Life is about experiences. This will go down as a wonderful experience! We are from way upstate NY and we're down in the area visiting family and they booked us at Captain Freds. Super nice family! They will introduce you to their gators, and talk about them. Super knowledgeable and fill you full of incredible facts. The tour was wonderful. Captain Joe has such a personable personality and will keep you laughing the whole time. A must see experience if you're in the area! Thank u Captain Joe! read more

Just got back from our tour with Captain Joe and what an awesome afternoon we had! Not only was the tour fun, but very informative and educational. We saw a lot of beautiful wildlife while learning a bit about them as well. The end was especially fun as we got to interact with juvenile gators. Our guide showed/taught total respect for their animals. If you're thinking of taking a tour, do it! read more

Easy to locate, fun, and professional. It was a great experience for our 5 year old and adults alike.

Had a great time on our tour! Captain Wayne was great :-) would highly recommend to others. We saw a LOT of birds (including bald eagles!!), a turtle, beautiful views, and some very well behaved young gators back at Captain Fred's dock. read more

We had the best time! The staff was very friendly & knowledgeable. Logan gave us lots of information on raising alligators, caring for them, and how to handle them. Captain Wayne was our airboat pilot, while on the water he showed us alligators, birds, turtles and he explained to us about certain trees, plants and flowers. I would recommend a tour with these guys 10 out of 10 times! Thank you for everything. read more

Celebrating my birthday, Coming back from bush gardens. I thought what a way to end my vacation wit a kick but airboat ride. Me growing up close to the Everglades I consider myself pretty knowledgeable when it comes to gators. Wayne made several miss informed statements about gators, from breeding habits to their normal daily activity. As soon as we leave the dock you could not help but notice a bunch of protesters letting us know that we were trespassing and it made me feel like a criminal. I could not wait to get off his boat, Another bad thing was he drove with motor running ten feet from a live eagles nest (In Florida that is considered molesting or harassing a protected bird. I feel like he did it to try to work us for a tip needless to say he did not get one and I should have demanded my money back. I am going to post my footage on YouTube so you can be the judge read more

I selected Captain Fred's due to his advertising description. The fact he included the nature talks were important to me as we were bringing an 86 year old, 5 and 1 1/2 year old as well as two 30 somethings and 60 year old. If you can, reserve your day and time. Especially if you are a large group. Easy to get to - right off 27. Small little house where you sit on the back porch and learn about the gators and get to hold and touch them. Smokers must wash their hands well before going to see the gators. Also if you used sunscreen you must wash your hands well. So special. Even the 1 1/2 year old was allowed to touch. Wonderful sitting area under a live oak covered in Spanish moss with the water behind you. Local birds sitting on the air boats and watching. Only complaint is the public boat launch next door but oh well. The air boat was easy to get on even for the 86 year old. Holds 7 plus driver. You get ear protectors but the captain stops and turns off the engine when he see something or wants to share something. Plenty of flora, birds, some big and small gators - just pretty and a new site around ever turn. This is not a go fast and shoot water around ride. This is a let's see what there is to see and learn ride. Wear a hat and sunglasses. Bring your camera and your questions. Alas, they do have some issues with new land owners who have built on the lake complaining of the air boats ( that have been there for 27 years) and the pontoon planes landing noise. Really? Really! You knew when you moved in! They complain about the noise pollution and then put up these 4 HUGE orange and yellow signs complaining about Capt. Fred's. Way to junk the place up for eye pollution. Anyway, we highly recommend Capt. Fred's. I know we will be back. Bathroom on site. Oh and you get a group photo on a Capt. Fred calendar for free. January 2019 read more

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Highly recommend this operator. It was too hot to see alligators, but we saw plenty of birds and lovely water plants. Remember to tip your boat operator. They work hard to find alligators but if it is hot the alligators go down to the bottom of the lake. read more

We just moved to the area and wanted to take in some of the local adventures. Captain Fred's is an awesome adventure even though our Captains name was Wayne. He was funny and very knowledgeable about the area. Bonnie provided and excellent experience while educating us on Gators. Thank you! We had a great time. read more

Our group of four absolutely loved Captain Fred's Airboat Tours! It being a beautiful day today also didn't hurt. :p From the moment you walk in, everyone is so welcoming and friendly. They are also very knowledgeable, and you can tell they respect wildlife, including the gators you get to hold. We are so glad we did it and totally recommend it! A special thanks to Logan and Captain Joe! read more

Loved this place so darn much, thank you captain Joe for the great ride and his son was a excellent handler of the gators. I will never forget this. read more

Captain Fred's Airboat Tours - I had a great time at this place, the tour was amazing and I especially liked the gator show, five star review. - Boat Tours Near Me - Lake Hamilton, Florida

Our family thoroughly loved our tour! We have been to 2 other companies over the years and this one is our favorite! Before going on the airboat they took their time sharing gator info and letting everyone have a chance to hold 3 different young alligators. It was exciting to hold them! On the airboat we were lucky enough to see a few different bird species AND 2 bald eagles try to catch some lunch, in addition to a few alligators. Be prepared for a breezy ride and a probable chance of rain -but it won't dampen the fun. Great experience! read more

Captain Fred's was the best airboat tour I ever been on. The lecturer they gave with the 2 young alligators was very knowledgeable and hands on. The airboat Ride fast and informational. We saw baby alligators, lots of different birds and plant life that live in the lakes. The speed was nice also. read more

Had a great time today at Captain Fred's. They do a great job providing info about wild life before and after the boat ride. Kids love it and time flew by. Bald eagles and eaglet were a highlight. read more

Captain Fred's Airboat Tours - Boat Tours Near Me - Lake Hamilton, Florida

Great captain and ride, but horrible staff. The person handling the gator encounter, Logan, presented himself as the owner. I found out later he was nothing close to that. Here are some examples of his behavior: *Constantly dissing his previous customers in stories, calling them idiots. *pretty proud of his Associate's degree- He said, "I didn't spend 2 years getting an associate's degree to be told I don't understand these animals." *Cocky attitude. *Told a stupid story about being drunk at a restaurant and punching someone for feeding alligator. Mentioned getting drunk and drinking many times. Horrible customer service for a family attraction. *Told my daughter her teachers suck because she didn't know the answer to one of his dumb questions. *Kept calling people "City folk". Seriously making dumb jokes about his customers? Not the way to build confidence or build a customer base. *Gave out a lot of incorrect information. One examples was that cats have only been domesticated for just over a century? Incorrect. Cats have been domesticated since 7000 BC. Guess the Associate's degree studies didn't cover that. *Had some good info to give, but most lost on his delivery of talking badly about previous customers/others and some incorrect information. This guy needs customer service training quickly. *If I were to describe him in one word, it would be "unprofessional" Captain Wayne was great! He was funny, informative, and professional. Without him I would never recommend this place. read more

Went on the tour on a Sunday afternoon, and couldn't have asked for a better day or experience. The whole staff, were friendly, knowledgeable and fun! $40 for an airboat tour, and you got to hold the baby + smaller gators, after they ate. On the tour, we saw so many birds, wish I could remember all of their names. There were pelicans (who aren't often in the area, but came there for a few days, coz of the colder weather), blue heron, and so many more! We were lucky to come a warm, sunny day, after a bad week of weather. We saw a Bald Eagle sitting up perched, high on a tree. We saw fish, and turtles, and lots of baby & small gators, sitting out on lily pads, some relaxing in the sun, others eating, and we even saw about a 10 foot gator on our way way back to shore. Wear sunscreen, bring your camera, because you will see a lot of awesome wildlife. And the captain (captain John is who we had), are so knowledgeable and answered many questions being asked on the tour, with such ease and patience. Either about the area, the birds, the gators... A great way to spend a few hours out in the sun! read more

My girlfriend and I were visiting some family recently and took off to do some "touristy stuff" that she had in mind. As we were driving down the road she noticed Captain Fred's and asked if I would rather do that than what she had in mind. I immediately did a U-turn and drove straight back. Sure glad I did! We met Bev. as we walked in, and she could not have been any sweeter! She gladly gave us a rundown of the business and the services offered. We ended up booking a 1 1/2 hour tour for early the next afternoon. Upon arrival, there is a half hour presentation which Bonnie gives about alligators and all get a chance to hold and take pictures with a 2 and a 4 year old gator. My girlfriend and then got to go on a private boat ride with Captain Wayne, who owns the business with his wonderful wife. What we experienced would be more appropriately described as a nature tour, rather than a boat ride. Cpt. Wayne took us through reeds and marsh to find gators of all sizes and their nests. Along the way, Wayne would periodically stop the boat and talk to us about all sorts of interesting facts about wildlife in the area. We saw so much great and unique wildlife up close! Our ride was so much better than I anticipated! It only cost us $40 a person. I had expected something closer to double that amount, especially with all the fun we had! We told our family about our trip when we got back and showed them all the photos and video I took out on the ride. They said it looked like more fun than they had a few months back down in the Everglades. That prompted them to book a tour the next week and they loved it, too! I highly recommend!!!! read more