Care For A Swim? by TwoPynts

Photography • Animals • posted on Apr 18, 2005

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Description

While not as dynamic as my lost post Lurker On The Shore, I wanted to include this shot because this is the way most alligators spend their day while looking for food. This was taken last weekend as well, but is a different gator, in another part of the canal system near my in-law's central Florida home. I watched this specimen disappear beneath the water in the space of a second or two, leaving almost no ripples. One needs to be wary and respectful of these giant predators, and give them wide bearth (see below). I felt safe getting this close (about 8-10 feet or 3 meters) because I was in a boat, but people scoot around these canals on jet ski's and in canoes...and even go swimming in the nearby lake. No thanks! ;] ----- Olympus C8080 and PhotoshopCS ----- THE FLORIDA ALLIGATOR The alligator is an amazing reptile, having survived almost unchanged since the time of the dinosaurs. Having been hunted almost to the brink of extinction, this reptile has made an amazing comeback in recent years, inhabiting almost every body of water in Florida. The alligator is a very important part of our wildlife heritage, and plays an extremely important part in Florida's ecosystem. The relationship between alligators and man dates back thousands of years. The first human residents of Florida hunted the alligator for its hide and meat. The teeth of an alligator were believed to be a magical ward against snakebite, as alligators were thought to be immune to the bite of poisonous snakes. The leather was used by the natives to make all types of leather items, even musical instruments such as drums. When the Spaniards first arrived in Florida, they were amazed at this large reptile calling it "el lagarto" (the lizard). It is from this early Spanish term that we derived the name alligator. This fearsome reptile can grow to an extremely large size, and wild alligators of 13 feet or more are not uncommon. Fortunately, alligators in the wild do exhibit a natural fear of man. If left alone, an alligator would much rather stay away from humans than attack them. In the State of Florida it is illegal to feed a wild alligator, as doing so tends to make the animal associate humans with food and it loses its natural fear of man. But attacks on humans do occur, and there have been several fatal alligator attacks in Florida. Many of these attacks involve small children or swimmers, however most attacks can be attributed to human error. One of the most important rules is should you see an alligator in the wild...Leave It Alone. Alligators are not to be feared, but they are to be respected. Capable of reaching lengths over 13 feet and weighing over 600 pounds, alligators have a crushing power of 3,000 psi in their jaws. Despite their appearance, alligators are extremely quick and agile. They are capable of amazingly fast bursts of speed, if only for a short distance. It has been said that an alligator can outrun a horse for a distance of 30 feet. Alligators are now protected by both state and federal regulations. It is illegal to hunt or trap a wild alligator without a permit. The Florida Fish and Game Commission oversees several management programs for the alligator. One of these is the nuisance alligator program, where alligators deemed to be dangerous to man or domestic animals are removed by private trappers. Should you have any questions or complaints about alligators in your area, consult your local Fish and Game Commission. (taken from Gatorhole.com)

Comments (28)

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marcfx

8:41AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

Fancy dipping your toes in???.......I hope this is using a zoom, hate to be tooo close. great capture...if thats the word. LOL

solrac_gi_2nd

8:42AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

Thanks :) ... but I think it is a PRIVATE pool :)) I love this capture.

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Enmos

9:02AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

No thanks, i think ill pass this time LOL :o) Amazing shot here again and excellent info on it !! Superb work here !! :o)

CameraObscura

9:13AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

I was wondering if you had fallen into the water and the alligator got you because I had not seen you around over this weekend. At least you know you were being missed. So do I care to go for a swim? Not really but if I were 'The Creature from the Black Logoon', I am sure the alligator would be scared of me and hide. ;~) Hope you do not mind my early Monday morning humor, for who likes Monday as it is the beginning of a long week. At least you were sort of safe in a boat. Just imagine a speed boat would come by and the boat rolled over and your in the water. I shiver at the thought. "So what about the photograph Egmont". I like it! "Is that alll you have to say, you ask?" All right Kort, I like it very much. Have a good week and I hope this brought a smile. Must run, send the teens off to school. ;~)

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Chaos911

9:19AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

another alegator :) sweet shot!!! ;)

nico3333fr

9:29AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

A hand bag in the water ?

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sharky_

9:52AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

No swimming for me. Not even getting a suntan around this area, lol. Excellent capture of this dangerous alligator and be careful my friend. Aloha

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killerpumpkins

10:25AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

I'm glad we don't have gators here in california. But then again Mountain Lions are not so much fun to run into either. Cool pic! KP

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tibet2004uk

11:12AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

Now this was a very interesting read Kort! Thx for that! And a great shot to go with the info!!

cynlee

11:14AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

ummmmmm... no thanks... & a fine shot!! :]

soulofharmony

11:26AM | Mon, 18 April 2005

phew l dont think l would fancy swimming with these ekkk no no no..!!!! thanks for the excellent info very interesting..and superb capture.. sublime :)

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