Eleven guides and two reservationists
Every tour is led by a naturalist or biologist who lives in South Florida. Between them they have worked in zoos, national parks, refuges, research vessels and one Galapagos cruise ship. These are the people who will be driving your van.
Owner & guide
Pete grew up at the Florida Monkey Sanctuary west of the Everglades, surrounded by sandhill cranes, wood storks, indigo snakes and river otters. He graduated from the University of Vermont in Wildlife and Fisheries Biology, guided for Everglades Day Safari from 1998 to 2000, spent six years as a Vermont park ranger and environmental educator, and returned in 2007. He helped co-develop the Florida SEE certification programme in 2009 and has owned the company since 2016.
Guide
Rhett grew up on Florida’s central-east coast fishing and photographing wildlife with his father, a professional wildlife photographer. He has a BS in Environmental Science from the University of Central Florida, led an outdoor eco-camp for Seminole County, and worked as a zookeeper at the Central Florida Zoo, handling everything from cobras and mambas to twelve-foot crocodiles. Off duty he keeps rare reptiles and photographs the Everglades.
Guide
Marc is one of the best storytellers on the team, with a deep knowledge of the natural and cultural history of the Everglades and a reputation for happy guests. Ask him about the camel.
Guide
Julio was born and raised in El Salvador and found comfort in nature during the civil war. He holds a degree in Agricultural Sciences from Zamorano in Honduras and a BS in Animal and Avian Science from the University of Florida, and spent twelve years running adventure and ecotourism operations in El Salvador and Central America before joining us in 2018. He is fluent in Spanish and English.
Guide
Reza grew up in New Jersey camping and hiking, started his school’s first environmental club in seventh grade, and has since worked in ecotourism and water quality projects from Central America to Thailand. He has guided small-group wilderness adventures across North America since 2007 and holds a USCG captain’s licence. He lives in Fort Lauderdale.
Guide
Lia studied marine biology at Nova Southeastern University and now treats the Everglades as her office. She pairs scientific detail with storytelling, and is as likely to explain a mangrove’s salt tolerance as she is to spot the wading bird hiding behind it.
Guide
Rachel is a wildlife biologist with a BS in Wildlife Management and Conservation and field research experience in Everglades National Park, Biscayne National Park, the Ten Thousand Islands and J.N. “Ding” Darling National Wildlife Refuge, focused on mangrove-dependent birds. Her work has been published in a peer-reviewed journal, and she has run avian research projects in Mexico and Venezuela.
Guide
Mo was born and raised in Fort Myers and started volunteering with local wildlife organisations at thirteen, handling snakes, alligators and birds. She earned a BA in Environmental Studies at Florida Gulf Coast University, worked at the Clinic for Rehabilitation of Wildlife, and has studied mangrove cuckoos on Sanibel and Burmese pythons in the Everglades.
Guide
Jacob grew up catching frogs and fishing in Illinois, studied ecology at Southern Illinois University, and has since worked on fish monitoring on the Mississippi, invasive species removal in Wyoming and shorebird research on the Outer Banks. His wildlife photography has been published in Wyoming Game and Fish Magazine.
Reservationist
Zak moved from Lima to Florida as a baby and grew up on the edge of the Everglades in Loxahatchee. A former landscape architect, he is now a Florida naturalist studying for his Master Naturalist certification. These days he is more often heard than seen — he is the voice on the other end of the reservations line.
Reservations
Maria Elena was born in Guayaquil, Ecuador, and holds a degree in Hospitality and Tourism. She has organised cultural events, planned itineraries and guided tours across Ecuador, and worked the front desk on a Galapagos cruise ship. She is fluent in Spanish, English and German.
In memoriam
Three people shaped Everglades Day Safari in ways that are still visible on every tour.
In memoriam · 1941 – 2021
Bob owned Everglades Day Safari from 1996 to 2016. He held a BS in Zoology from Michigan State, was a decorated Vietnam veteran, guided at the Miami Serpentarium, travelled Colombia on zoological expeditions and hosted a Tampa television show about wild animals. He studied the ecosystems of South Florida, Colombia, Costa Rica and Southeast Asia for more than forty years. Captain Bob’s Excellent Adventure carries his name.
In memoriam · d. 2008
Manfred held a PhD in ornithology and years of Everglades guiding behind him. He was a mentor to our staff and a walking natural history library for guests. We lost him in 2008 and miss him still.
In memoriam · 1947 – 2015
Norman moved to South Florida in 1959 and turned a love of the Everglades into a career driving airboats, guiding archaeological digs and leading moonlit canoe trips. He spent his last fourteen years as an Everglades Day Safari guide, and elevated guiding to an art form with his well-woven tales.
Every seat on every tour comes with a guide who can name what you are looking at.
