On the Job

>>"You can’t smile too much or you get bugs in your teeth," warns Glenn Smith above the airboat’s loud whirring as we zip through mangrove tunnels outside Everglades City. After 14 years as an airboat captain, Smith, manager at Captain Doug’s Everglades Safari, knows the tricks for a great ride filled with alligators, pelicans, ospreys and more. And at this time of year, he and other airboat captains are running in high gear, with 10 to 12 hour-long trips per day.

Why become an airboat captain?

It beats working for a living. I enjoy being on the water every day. Any job you do every day gets monotonous—but this one doesn’t because you never become complacent with alligators.

What is the most unusual animal you’ve encountered?

A water moccasin in the boat—that was a memorable trip. That was the one time I promised a lady she wouldn’t see snakes, and then there was one in the boat. Once, a guy stuck his hand out of the boat above a gator. The alligator jumped and barely missed him by an inch.

Where are your customers normally from?

We have a lot of Europeans, mostly from England and Germany. In the summertime we run about 70 percent European riders. In the winter, it’s about 60 percent domestic tourists, 10 percent international tourists and 30 percent Floridians.

How has the economic downturn affected your business?

We have been busier than ever. Every year [since he joined the company in 1994] the business increases, and this year is no different. Everybody is really amazed.

How will the Everglades restoration project affect business?

The Everglades Restoration Act should help when it diverts the water flows back the way it’s supposed to be. It should make things better and help the wildlife out.

What is the most rewarding aspect of the job?