Great place! A big variety of species, highly recommend. If you are in Tampa it is just 10 minutes away. They have tours every two hours starting at 10 am. read more

Croc Encounters - Feeding Turtouses - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Just visited Crocs Encounters on 8/3/20. This is undoubtedly one of the best reptile sanctuaries in the Tampa area. We were greeted by 2 curious macaw parrots at the entrance. On the guided tour we saw lots and lots of reptiles, from small to large, all across the world. Even got to feed huge tortoises from hand, as well as alligators and turtles in the water. Our guide, Clay, absolutely stood out today. Clay was super friendly and informative, and answered all our questions. Would 100% recommend this as a top family vacation idea if you're in the area. Make sure to ask for Clay while you're there. Please support these tourism businesses affected by the pandemic!! read more

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Clay was awesome and very knowledgeable! Feeding the tortoises was the coolest thing I've done with animals and it's so incredible how gentle and old these reptiles are! Def would recommend to anyone especially if you love turtles like we do! Make sure you tip your tour guide. What he does and is knowledgeable about is incredible. read more

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This was a recommended spot to hit up while in Florida. Our tour guy was very kind and knowledgeable! So many crocodiles, alligators and turtles/tortoises to see. The price might be okay to others but I felt like the experience of seeing the same thing over and over but in different spots of the sanctuary could have been a bit cheaper. Still, big props to the owner for starting this place up and having everyone care for the animals! Getting to hold a baby alligator I think was my cherry on top. We also got to feed tortoises and gators :) read more

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Couldn't even give this place my business because once we got there we were told (by a very friendly employee) to call the number on the door for tickets. Waited around for 30 minutes and never got a call back. they need to come up with a better business model if they want business. read more

Dorian Gonzalez was our guide, and he did a stellar job of informing us about the history of this wonderful reptile sanctuary. He is a true professional and understands how to be a compassionate caretaker of the animals. There were so many great animals to see, and we loved our visit to this fantastic place. Thank you. read more

Croc Encounters - Gators - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

My wife and I had some extra time before heading to the airport to end our vacation. I quickly looked up things to do near me and found the Croc Encounters. I knew nothing about it, nor did I have much time to research it. All I knew was that I was a tourist in Florida and had not seen an alligator after an entire week. So, we gave it a shot! I'll tell you, we were pleasantly surprised! We did a guided group tour, for around $50 a person. The price is definitely high for what you get, but, like I said, I wanted to see gators. Our tour group was excellent! Luck of the draw, I guess. And, our tour guide is great too! He knew tons about the animals and wasn't afraid to admit when he didn't know. Plus, he had a good sense of humor. Overall, the encounter is a pretty cool place. I want to give it five stars, but the price is high to me. Bare in mind, I've not researched the going rate for a place of this caliber. I'm just estimating the cost by my level of enjoyment. I don't think it's $100 good. But, it's definitely a cool place to check out. read more

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Visiting from up North, we don't EVER see gators/crocodiles, so I was really excited to come here. Definitely a memorable experience! It is a self guided tour, so you just walk around checking out the gators, turtles, and other reptiles they have there. You get to go inside and feed the turtles too, which was awesome. The staff was informative and extremely nice, especially Skyler (I think that was his name). At the end, we were able to hold a baby gator too. Beware, it may whip you with its tail LOL (I was the lucky one that got whipped). Regardless, I would recommend this place for a short little trip! read more

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Tours are only done during certain hours. Their website didn't explicitly say that it was a tour only function so we showed up thinking we could walk through and there was no one at the front office and only a hand written sign stating the tour times for the day. read more

While in the Tampa area for my amazingly beautiful gf's birthday, we decided to check out Croc Encounters. We did not make reservations, but Tyler was able to get us in on the next tour. We were so glad he did... it was AWESOME! We have been to many zoo's and wildlife sanctuaries, but the experience at Croc Encounters was one of the absolute best experiences we have had. Not only was Tyler very knowledgeable, but his sense of humor and the way he interacts with the reptiles made it that much more fun. You can definitely tell he has a true passion for what he does and all of the park residents have a special place in his heart. We would highly recommend Croc Encounters for anyone looking to have an uncommon reptile experience. read more

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When In Florida! Up close viewing. Tons of photo opportunities. Guided tour. Friendly staff.

Our guide was awesome. He is very knowledgeable and patient. This was the highlight of our trip to FL. Highly recommend. Great price too! Thank you!!! read more

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Hidden Gem! Local to the area and had never heard of it!!! Took a guided tour today ( self guided for a lower rate only available on Saturday) Tyler was great! He is very knowledgeable about all the exhibits and at ease with all of the animals/reptiles. Fun for all ages we had 11 people 2yrs to 65yrs and everyone loved it. Best part for me was feeding the tortoises. Something unique and close to home! We will definitely be back! read more

Croc Encounters - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We had a great time here! Our tour guide was super friendly and informative! Highly recommended coming especially those like us who live in the desert and don't see these types of reptiles all that often! read more

Croc Encounters - Chance to hold alligators and pythons - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Fantastic and unique tour!! I have been doing some solo-exploring in Tampa and absolutely LOVED this! The tour guide was so informative and there were tons of animals to see. I loved that we got to hold a baby alligator, feed some tortoises, and see them feed some of the larger alligator & crocodiles. It's really awesome that they are expanding and providing this sanctuary for the animals. There were some other animals there including lizards, birds, and snakes - they are expanding so I'm sure there will be even more to see shortly! A great experience for a group or solo - definitely recommend it! read more

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Visited form California for a soccer event. We figured we had to see some crocs while in Florida. Great tour guide, very knowledgeable. Had fun feeding the gators and seeing the huge crocs! read more

Croc Encounters - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This was a very informative tour. We learned about and saw plenty of Alligators and Crocs. There are lizards, turtles, snakes, and a few Macaws. We were able to feed the turtles that were on land and also turtles that were in water. Marc our guide was very informative and really knew he stuff. He was a very nice and welcoming guide. Totally recommend this place. It's a wonderful sanctuary for animals that are mostly given up by their owners. read more

Great presentation well educated, however does need to address the safety of kids being near the animals

This was such a fun and informative session. Great instructors! Being about to see other animals as well was great and I loved that the habitats were very natural. read more

This place was awesome! Took the family and they loved it. Saw some crocs and ate some lunch!

Tyler our tour guide was FANTASTIC! He is hysterical, friendly and VERY knowledgeable! The space is huge and you get to see, touch and feed tons of different species of reptiles including crocs, gators, snakes, lizards and turtles. This was so much fun! Warnings: call ahead and book a tour. It was $110 for a family of 4 - worth every penny! Remember that it is HOT in Florida; bring water, sunscreen and a hat. The tour is 1.5 hours mostly in the sun. read more

Croc Encounters - Holding a baby gator - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We came in with the grandkids and our daughter and son-in-law. We had very low expectations, just another run of the mill animal tour. Boy, we were wrong about it. This was an incredible tour, a learning experience and very entertaining. Tyler, our tour guide, was a wealth of information, respectful of these wild animals he was handling and very much in touch with the animals and the humans. He gave us the background of the animal we were observing, interesting tidbits of information and a perspective of their natural habitat and behavioral patterns. If you are in the Tampa/Orlando area, we highly recommend you visit Croc Encounters. They offer the tours as a way to fund their ultimate goal which is to rescue and provide a safe environment for the animals. When you visit, don't expect a zoo environment. It is really an animal rescue/sanctuary retrofitted to allow humans to partake in the experience. A must visit!! read more

Croc Encounters - Tyler was the best. Very knowledgeable and a great host. - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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very very bad experience with these people, I scheduled a birthday party with them, added the addon packages to hold the crocs and they never showed up. spoke with the rep multiple times in advance not once or twice but three times and scheduled the date for a NO CALL NO SHOW. DO NOT BOOK read more

We took our 2 kids, 19 and 7 years in age. Have to say they both loved the experience. Guide was extremely knowledgeable, not exactly charismatic, but def is passionate about his job. A spot to add to your tourist list of things to do! read more

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I have nothing but good words for the people at Croc Encounters! I purchased the group tour for five and it was interactive, educational, and fun. I highly recommend getting a group of 5 or less to go with you to get that group tour discount of $99 for the whole party. The entire tour lasted for 2 hours and was totally worth the price! (They only accept cash. I'm not sure if it's just for the tours or not) Reservations were super easy. I made a last minute appointment on President's Day at 1 PM and was able to get a tour the same day at 4 PM. The tour is extremely kid friendly. We were with a family with kids under 8 and they were able to do all the activities available. Our tour guide was Dylan and he was fantastic! He was very knowledgeable about all the animals and it shows that there's a lot of care that goes into this place. Most of the animals from Croc Encounters are rescues-- saved from negligent pet owners or from zoos that couldn't maintain these animals anymore. There's a wide range of alligators, crocodiles, lizards, and tortoises. They are constantly expanding their area with new animals and pens for the ever growing reptiles. Here's a list of some interactive things we got to do: - Feed the crocodiles - Hold boa constrictors and baby alligator - Hold the lizards (Jelly is my favorite animal) - Pet and feed the tortoises (they're surprisingly personable and cute) - Feed turtles TIP: I recommend coming during the afternoon when it's warm. I went at 4 PM and the weather was kind of cool, making the reptiles kind of lethargic. read more

Croc Encounters - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Had an amazing experience at Croc Encounters. Destiny was our guide. Highly recommended for families. read more

Croc Encounters - Had an amazing tour at Croc Encounters. Destiny made sure we had a great experience. Highly recommended for entire family. - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Do not expect too much from Croc Encounters in terms of size. All of the exhibits and activities can completed within the half hour if desired. They mainly take in injured animals and some of them have extensive injuries. There is a croc that is missing the top half of its mouth, so its tongue and inner mouth is exposed to the elements. I thought this croc was a broken gator model at first. II came here with a groupon to feed the turtles and get a gator picture on top of being able to see the animals/exhibits. I did enjoy feeding the land turtles lettuce and taking the picture with the baby gator! It definitely felt like a Floridian experience. read more

Croc Encounters - Lettuce talk about this in turtality. - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Alexander was a great tour guide and you can tell he's passionate about his work. This place is kind of a hidden gem but I do recommend it. Your took about 1 hour. read more

Great tour! Only took off one star because we had to wait in the Sun for about 30 minutes for the tour to start. When I pulled I was a little apprehensive it looks small. I was pleasantly surprised at everything inside. We started the tour with Tyler which was very knowledgeable and funny. Then John took over and he was also very knowledgeable and fun! I must say my favorite part was feeding the tortoise. Those guys are greedy!! We also has extra time with the snake and alligator due to the tour starting late. We were the only ones on the tour which was plus. I felt like it was a VIP tour of the facility. It's definitely worth the money and you can tell the staff enjoys their job! read more

Croc Encounters - Tortoise feeding - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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This was so much fun. When we pulled up we weren't sure we were at the right place. It's kinda tucked away a s There isn't really a front office. We are so glad we stopped thought. Family Trip (Kids 16, 17 and 20.) Destiny our guide was fun, educational and entertaining. We all had a Great time. Learning the difference between crocodiles and alligators were awesome! read more

*Money Saving Tip: Grab 3 friend and do the family tour for $99! Usually it's $45 each. Also they only take cash and no ATM on site.* I'm from Cali, and I wanted to experience alligators and crocodiles while in Florida! My Tampa friend was not amused and just told me to look in his backyard or the lakes on the side of the road. But I didn't see any after a day and I was only there for 2 so I set up a tour with Croc Encounters. Boy am I glad I did! I was able to drag 3 friends to come along with me Saturday morning so we got the family tour for $99, which is way worth it since each person would have been $45. The facility itself was so cool and our tour guide was so knowledgeable and so patient with all of our questions. He carried a bucket of raw chicken with him during the tour and hucked it over the cages to get the crocodiles and alligators moving. What was really cool was seeing all the vultures swarm the area waiting for a lazy gator to not move to eat the chicken or a bad throw by our tour guide. There were literally dozens of vultures, kind of crazy how close they got and how fearless they were going so close to the gators. My favorite exhibit was the land turtles. We were able to go in and feed them greens, which was a super neat experience. At the end of the tour they let us hold a baby gator (electrical tape tied around it's mouth) and take pictures! All in all a wonderful tour that I am so glad I got to experience while in Tampa! read more

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This place was the highlight of our trip to Tampa. We got to spend time with a baby gator while we waited for our tour to start. our tour guide Marc (with a c) was knowledgeable, friendly and super accommodating. We learned a lot about reptiles. Feeding the turtles was especially awesome. There is nothing better than being up close and personal with these gentle giants. Please note: they only take cash. It was 99$ for three people. There is a gas station up the road with an ATM. Great family fun read more

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One of the best local sanctuary/zoos we have been to. We had Tyler as our guide and he was very knowledgeable about everything. The tour was around 2 hours and he went over everything when it came to alligators, crocs and all of the other reptiles they have there. You get to feed the gators and the turtles. At the end of the tour you get to hold one of their 3 foot gators and take pictures with it. It's an awesome family experience and goes by super fast with how much different reptiles they have there. I highly recommend this place if you haven't been before! read more

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The guide was very knowledgeable and kept it fun. Learned a lot and got to do some hands-on stuff like feeding tortoises. Highly recommend to take a tour! read more

This place is so cool!!! There were a lot of alligators and crocodiles. The tour was incredible. I highly recommend. Dorian was a great tour guide. If you're looking for gators and crocodiles then I can assure you best place to go read more

It was a pretty cool experience. Although, it did seem a bit rundown, and there was a person smoking/vaping the majority of the time, and in front of the animals. I feel kind of bummed that they didn't stop them, because I think smoking in front of an animal probably isn't great for them, the animals were also in small spaces. The tour guide was great, and I really enjoyed the tour! read more

Croc Encounters - This was the part where we were able to hold a alligator! - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We had a great time viewing the reptiles and holding a few turtles, snakes and baby alligators. The kids really enjoyed feeding the large turtles. This is my favorite activity to take visitors due to the knowledgeable staff and lots of animals! read more

Hidden gem! Not a big commercial farm, this is a small reptile rescue sanctuary. Tours are very educational, up close & personal, and fun! Our whole family enjoyed it! Our guide, Dorian, was awesome! read more

Had such a great time! Maddie was an amazing guide. She had so much good information about the animals and delivered it with so much enthusiasm. The tour was very interactive. There were a couple of kids who were having a grand time but so were the older folks like us. Not sure what the tour size is normally. We had around 12 and it was really a perfect size for interactivity. read more

We had a great time! Staff is very friendly and knowledgeable! Size of the park is smaller but makes up with hands on interactions with the animals read more

Croc Encounters - Zoos Near Me - Tampa, Florida