The recent discussion of lightening, with side comments about gators, prompts an often overlooked advisory for the blackwater paddlers in the south. We have pointed out that "lightening season" seems to correspond with "paddling season" and the discussion has been interesting. However, May and June are the months that gators "come into season". When that happens, those normally reclusive beasts can get pretty testy. During the first phase of the period, the bulls are trying to show dominance and can be very aggressive toward other things in *their* territory. They will attack boats if those boats are in their claimed area. And it's not just us little boats - news reports of attacks on big bass boats aren't uncommon. Once the territory is claimed, the bulls get lusty and woo lady gators, and they don't want you around for that either. After mating, the bulls stop caring, but the females are very protective of their nests and, later, of their young. Normally, a gator will try to get out of your way and we enjoy seeing them in the water with us. This time of year, it's best to cut a wide path and avoid them completely when you can. A couple of years ago, we lived in a river cottage on the St Johns River, south of Jacksonville, FL. One day we were fishing off the end of our dock in an 8' (yes, eight) "BassHunter" which is basically a two person plastic pontoon with seats. We hadn't been there long when a 12' gator surfaced, opened his mouth wide and hissed right in my wife's face. We got the message and headed to shore quickly. The old bull patrolled that spot for several hours, cruising back and forth, making sure we didn't return. That's an experience which will be in our memories forever, and we hope to keep it *only* a memory. Unfortunately, "Ol' Wally" was killed a few months later about a mile down river after he adopted a family's yard - the 12' length was *not* a product of our fear. Although he gave us quite a scare, we were sorry to see he had been killed - he was absolutely regal gliding through the water on his daily patrol and we missed him. Anyway, as you're paddling the bayous, rivers and lakes of the south, don't forget to keep an eye out for gators while you watch the weather. Kurt Lake City, FL *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
>However, >May and June are the months that gators "come into season". When that >happens, those normally reclusive beasts can get pretty testy. I appreciate Kurt Wisner's information about 'gators. Does anyone have any experience with the saltwater crocadiles of Belize? I don't have any experiene with either of these animals, but I am told that these guys are mostly in the mangroves on Ambergris Caye, but occasionally they wander over to the ocean side (East side) of the islands. Supposedly "there are lots of them." Robert *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
This one is a bit of a myth. The "salties" of Belize have been hunted almost to extinction. Last trip down, I paddled through the mangroves on the West side of Ambergris clear up to the Mexican end, and saw one "slide" on a mudbank and zero crocs. The government is attempting to reintroduce them over much of their former range, but they're extremely rare, with only 100 known pairs in the entire North, mostly in the virtually trackless mangrove swamps of the mainland, if you could call that area land. Roger Robert C. Cline wrote: > >However, > >May and June are the months that gators "come into season". When that > >happens, those normally reclusive beasts can get pretty testy. > > I appreciate Kurt Wisner's information about 'gators. Does anyone have any > experience with the saltwater crocadiles of Belize? I don't have any > experiene with either of these animals, but I am told that these guys are > mostly in the mangroves on Ambergris Caye, but occasionally they wander > over to the ocean side (East side) of the islands. Supposedly "there are > lots of them." > > Robert > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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