Since 2001, Florida Backcountry Adventures has been offering nature enthusiasts from around the world several fun, challenging and rewarding excursions into the beautiful habitats of southwest Florida. President and founder Captain Alex Saputo sums up his background, his company, and his mission.
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| Growing up Michigan, you wouldn't think a mid-western boy with a good college education would find walking around a swamp all day all that interesting. Or would he?
When I first visited the area in 1995, I was austruck by the natural beauty, raw wilderness and shear size of the Everglades and the 10,000 Islands. Believe it or not, it reminded me of home, Gibraltar, Michigan, but on a much grander scale. In those early days, like most tourists, it was see as much as you can see. So I went to the typical tourist spots: the airboats, the boardwalks, and boy was I dissapointed! I couldn't believe what was being offered to tourists, like myself at the time, to showcase this incredible area. To me the relentless noise of airboats, jammed-packed parking lots, boardwalks, tour boats, etc...was nothing but an extension of an amusement park.
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With this notion in mind, my idea was born.
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| My mission from the beginning was to offer people something real, something unique, something intimate with nature unlike the masses. And so I did.
After a year or two of exploration, I started offering eco-tours from my boat, highlighting the marine environment of the 10,000 Islands. Keeping my trips small, private and using a shallow draft boat, it allowed me to showcase places and animals where big commercial outfitters would or could not venture. In addition, it allowed me to make a personal connection with my customers whether they were 5 years of age or 85.
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Now 11 years into it, my mission has never wavered. I still strive everyday to make my trips unique--exploring new areas, teaching people about animal behavior, finding rare species, in the end to offer a great natural world experience.
I hope if you are in the area, you will have a chance to experience one of my adventures. Please contact me or give me a call anytime. I'd love to hear from you!
Thank you for your support!
Captain Alex Saputo
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