There are gators on Sannibel Island…
and it’s surrounded by salt water. They may not like it but they’ll abide swimming in salt water if it can get them to a food source.
Actually, it varies depending on water
– Last Updated: Nov-10-08 6:34 PM EST –
and air temps. April, May, and June are the peak of the season but it can differ from one watershed to the next. There can be a late mating season as well. Here's a case in point:
October of last year I was guiding a group down on the Hillsborough in a green w/ black trim tupelo dagger(about 9 ft. long) when "ol' Moe" (about 13ft. long) comes off the bank and as soon as he's about ten feet into the river he starts bellowing. We could hear him two bends further down stream.
It was all grins and giggles until he caught sight of us heading back upstream. This time he decided not to take no for an answer. I told the group to take a hard right at the bend as I turned slightly to the left. Sure enough, he was heading straight for me. I waited until he got within 20 feet of the canoe before I smacked the water with paddle and in a loud, deep voice informed him I was not what he wanted. Upon hearing that all four legs went straight out as he came to a dead stop, turning right as he submerged. Never had a problem with him since. I wasn't worried about him attacking me but I wouldn't appreciate him trying to make romance to that little guide canoe with me in it, either.
It's a little cooler now so unless the air temp gets above 75 and water temp above 70 their digestive system is slow and therefore not near as hungry. However, this doesn't mean if the opportunity avails itself they wouldn't go after unaware prey (human included) drown it, stash it in their den for a future feast.
As with all of nature, there are no exact rules but for the most part those in and around urban areas are the ones to really be aware of. And if you have a dog and it's not trained as to how to behave around gators, don't take it!
Accidental swimming?
So what does one do when an accidental swim from a canoe or kayak occurs? Say for example I hit a log and flip myself over and have to come out of the boat, then what?
Hey, I’m a northern mountain woman, I have no idea about gators! I understand not swimming on purpose, but what is the best course of action with an accidental swim? Oh, and just for hypothetical sake, what if you’re in a boat that you can’t re-enter n(like an open canoe or sunken rec kayak without floatation or ICF boat, for example) and you have to go to shore in murky or black water?
Thanks,
Susan
www.pennkayaker.com/ladyjustice
if you can’t get back in your boat, just
get to shore ASAP.
A few years ago my wife took a accidental swim in a murky creek where we knew there were gators around.
Needless to say she didn’t take much time getting out of the water.
Like I mentioned above, I would worry more about getting in a wreck with some nut on your drive to Florida, than tangling with a gator.
cheers,
JackL
Hopefully you won’t be too far from
shore if such a mishap were to occur. Actually, as previously stated, they usually have a stronger fear of you than you of them. Narrow rivers and creeks with few humans around you should have no worries. I believe the ones that get fed and harassed are the ones to worry about. That’s why here in Florida there are laws and hefty fines to pay (including jail time) when people get caught doing either (or both) of the aforementioned acts.
BTW… You would be surprized how quick you can re-enter a canoe from stern or bow when your adrenalin kicks in!
now that would be a good time to have a
reliable roll.
Yup, there are gators…
there.
And we have sharks in the salt water.
Yet every single day in the southeast, we have many hundreds or thousands of people in, on, around, or under the water here.
Fishermen, children, drunks, paddlers, skiers, scuba divers, surfers, etc.
Very few are injured by a large predator. Better odds on the lottery.
So, stay safe, don’t leave the house, and nod off in a nursing home after a 20 year stay in front of a TV.
Or live, enjoy, respect the creation around you, and realize that you just may, just maybe miss those nursing home years.
T
Some good advice…
I got once was to avoid being too close to shore if paddling around a blind curve. You might find yourself right on top of a gator. Otherwise, if the critter knows where you are, and you know where it is, you’ll probably be fine.
My experience has been that if you are in a particularly shady area, you might not see as many, as they like the sunshine. Last time I was in FL (in August) we paddled a black water swampy creek, and never saw gator. It was shady, and though it was about 90 degrees out, in the shade it was much cooler. A few days later we paddle on a wider river, and saw several gators, all sunning themselves.
Kayakers taste like chicken
Certainly do not worry about paddling wiith gators but do respect them as you in their world. Spring Mating season is the most dangerous time of year and anytime you approach their nesting area.
Avoid close contact or boxing them in a corner.
I have paddled next to, over, near hundreds of gators and only once did one hiss at me, my fault of course and that other time the 13 footer crawled up on the back deck of my kayak and slid back off in a hurry and thrashed away.
This guy no doubt either wanted to make sweet love’n to omy kayak or hoped I had a bologna sandwich in my rear hatch. I think it was all about food as he appeared to be the local pest at the boat ramp at the Loxahatchee Preserve canoe trail.
Brian
Fort Lauderdale
You must be constantly tipping over
You seem to be paranoid about having a roll.
I like to, and have always kept the open side up.
Perhaps you should think about getting a more stable boat!
Cheers,
JackL
I bet your wife
wished she had a good roll when her kayak flipped into alligator infested waters—I know that would be the time that a roll would be real handy—beats being lunch anyday of the week—
but I digress–when I used to do WW I flipped all the time, and a roll was handy—in seakayaking I’ve used it a couple of times but only when I was trying something extreme—once when I was trying to see how far I could go when bracing and once in some breaking surf–both times I expected that I would go over–
but in all candor I can’t understand why someone wouldn’t take the one or two hours and learn how to roll? It won’t make you an expert at it overnight but once you have one, then you can work on improving it by yourself. Can’t understand why someone would not want to do it–
“But in all candor” to quote you…
you must be paranoid about rolling, since you are the one who always brings it up.
My interest in paddling is different than yours, and I don’t try to push my interests on you.
Cheers,
JackL
i find it to be fun.
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Gators have always kind of freaked me out I am afraid of them a little so it makes paddling near them kind of exciting. For a yankee like myself, close encounters are pretty cool. Seeing them up close and personal is part of the reason I enjoy paddling the okefenokee swamp. More gators than you can shake a stick at.
http://outdoors.webshots.com/photo/2657414220086923825ErbbRc
Snakes, on the other hand, just creep me out. Not knowing where they are hiding makes me antsy. http://picasaweb.google.com/scottb03109/Critters#5083472713174776674
The biggest danger…
…is from ticks with rocky mountain spotted fever and mosquitoes that have been known to carry encephalitis.
Load up on the Deet. I used to spray all the seams of
my jeans with the dog’s flea and tick spray. You might
not be wearing jeans and some people get rashes from the
spray.
But Deet is your friend.
Agreed!
You’d have a better chance of getting mauled by tics and mosquittos then you would by an alligator especially in non-moving waters where the mosquitto population runs rampid around here.
We went hiking at the Little Big Econ last weekend and after a 7 mile hike our dog was covered in ticks and we had a few ourselves.
Husband doesn’t seem to mind the tick check though 
Hmmmm, something I need to mention
to “the bride”.
I wonder if I can convince her that the ocean is loaded with ticks !!!
Cheers,
JackL
Another approach is for everyone
to dump. One of two things happens…there is less chance YOU will be picked or the gators get spooked and leave.
Some of us teach canoeing in Louisiana in a lovely pond with several gators. When you have forty floaty things in the pond upside down or right side up they leave. Never lost a student yet.
Make sure you leave them(the gatore!) escape room.
nor I you
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I realize that sometimes you just can't teach an old dog new tricks---not that it isn't fun occasionally to pull his chain--:) have a great day and watch out for those gators.
My Dalmatian…
…when he was about 6 months old beamed with pride as
he demonstrated his newly perfected skill: standing on
his hind legs and chewing on the stern plate of my canoe.
He was devastated when I didn’t share his enthusiasm.
I told my nieces and nephews the damage was due to
gators.
“I was a little concerned, but I just smacked that old
gator on the nose with my paddle and told him to go
away.”
“Wow, Uncle Rick.”
Well, hey, someone has to lie to them, and neither of
my sisters will do it.
Never Forget That a big one can eat you!
I paddled Okenfenokee several times and always saw gators. But I went early spring or late winter to avoid bugs and the water was too cold for gators to eat. Reptiles are simple creatures and usually put things into maybe three categories. Dangerous,food and sex. Humans are usually seen as dangerous. BUT temperature changes things a lot. A slow moving snake that is easily handled when cold can be very quick and bite when warm. same with lizards and turtles. So remember that the gator that is cold and trying to get warm in the cooler months is a different animal than the one that is swimming around in 90 degree water in mid summer. And never forget that a big gator can move very quickly when it wants and can eat you!!! That said I enjoy seeing gators and don’t feel that they are usually much of a threat to people.