When Winkie and Ron Woxberg moved to the St. Johns River basin in 1979, they immediately fell in love with the area, and it’s easy to see why. The gently flowing river's cypress- and oak-lined banks house myriad forms of wildlife, including manatees, alligators, bald eagles, osprey, and limpkins. Some two decades later, the Woxbergs decided to share the area’s natural beauty with newcomers by starting St. Johns River Cruises. The US Coast Guard–certified couple expertly navigates their specially commissioned vehicle, the Nature II, through the shallow channels of the river basin during daily tours. As the ship putters along at unhurried speeds, its quiet engines make barely any noise, allowing the sweet sounds of singing birds and the unskilled beat-boxing of beached sirens to reach the ears of passengers.