Garl's tour of the Everglades was one of the most unique and immersive eco-tours we've ever done. It's a long excursion, from early afternoon to about 9 or 10 p.m. when you return to Key Largo, but well worth it!
After a quick stop at a favorite local fruit stand for needed sustenance, Garl's first stop was to show us baby alligators in a small stream off the side of the park's main road. Then we were off to the alligator hole. Garl supplied long-sleeved shirts and pants and surf shoes, which were necessary for walking through marshy grasslands to get to the wooded swamp and the alligator hole within. We didn't see a gator at the hole, but a Florida softshell turtle swam by, and we were startled to see a barred owl (in the early afternoon) sitting calmly on a cypress branch a few feet over our heads. Walking through the swamp with the sun shining through the cypress boughs and Spanish moss was an unforgettable experience, the kind of thing that you might see naturalists do on Animal Planet but never imagine doing yourself.
The next stop was the kayak trip from the Flamingo Visitors Center. The wind kicked up the current, but the payoff once we were out along the bay shore made it worthwhile. We saw dozens of different types of birds that are hard to find elsewhere, including white pelicans, roseate spoonbills, skimmers, and even a flamingo that flew by us at a distance. Garl provided some wine to toast the sunset, which was still nice despite the cloud cover.
Garl concluded the excursion with a night walk along the park's Ahininga Trail. The exotic sounds that surrounded us combined with the spooky flashlit glare of the eyes of probably twenty alligators to create a surreal atmosphere. Garl explained the gators' behavior and ecology and pointed out all kinds of spiders, frogs, and snakes that our untrained eyes would have missed.
This is not a cheap or easy tour, but it's highly recommended so long as you bring a sense of adventure, not to mention a hat and bug spray!