Greetings- Please, read the report of a recent (5/28/01) encounter with a less than timid gator. Understand that the estimate of size is a conservative one and that any suggestions with regard to behavior around gators is given in good faith. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- Had quite and unusual gator encounter today. Paddling in Big Muddy Cove, Georgetown, FL. Had one paddler with me. Encountered a large gator (8'). Was not on course to contact gator and was 30-40 feet away. Gator was between me and the shoreline. Gator was at least 70' from shore. Water is at least 3/4 mile wide. Gator submerged. Watched bubble trail head directly for kayak. Found this highly unusual, until, encountered second gator 100' away. Similar course and distance, no threat to gator. This gator displayed similar behavior, submerged and headed directly towards kayak. Bubble trail was closing in. Looked down to watch gator pass under kayak. Gator chose to surface alongside kayak and slung its head sideways, striking kayak about five inches from my hand. Collected my partner and evacuated the area immediately. Suspicion is that we must have unintentionally entered a nursery. Still, unable to completely explain behavior as we were 100' from shore and hatchlings would never be that far out. This area is seldom visited and we won't be visiting it for a while. I have always taught people that gators are binary systems. Well, this time of year they are definitely in the "on'" position. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ -------------------- Opinion from a gator behaviorist at University of Florida reinforced our nursery conclusion. Subsequent conversations with other backwater users suggests that gators in our area are becoming less timid. (My Opinion) Loss of habitat (due to development), increased gator populations (due to Gov't protection) and increasing human contact (more people boating or fishing) may all be contributing factors to increasingly aggressive behavior. I paddle extremely remote areas and have encountered in excess of a thousand adult gators and have never experienced aggressive behavior such as this. I know (knew)? how to act around gators. Please, do be cautious. Here is an address to a "Links Page" for people interested in learning more about the American Alligator. http://nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu/~biolab/crocpage.html Bruce McC www.wholeearthoutfitters.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I find this account very interesting as it pretty much reflects my recent experiences. So far, I haven't had one come directly at me, but I had some very anxious moments paddling solo a week back at my favorite urban bayou. Gators there certainly less timid than I remember from years back. No doubt about increased pressures from urbanization, but also lack of predators (like hunting) in Armand Bayou, one of the most visited and last "untouched" bayous close to Houston. It's quite close to Johnson Space Center. Lots of recreational (no motors allowed) boaters back in there so they are getting rather accustomed to canoes and kayaks passing by. Gators have been close enough I have heard them blowing bubbles at me, what I expect was a warning sign to me and I didn't challenge it. Had an 8-10' gator sitting on a sandbar that didn't even wink or flex a muscle as I paddled by less than 50' from it. My anxious moment came as I passed close to the bank on a turn, not seeing the 'gator until I was almost literally on top of it. And for a moment it looked like we would collide, not enough time for me to do a significant turn to avoid it as it came slightly in my direction as it sought deeper water. Used to see 'gators there only rarely, now it is unusual that a 2 hour paddle yields fewer than 4-6 of them. Natalie Wiest Galveston/Houston TX -----Original Message----- From: owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net [mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net]On Behalf Of Outfit3029_at_aol.com Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 9:15 AM To: paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net Subject: [Paddlewise] gator encounter Greetings- Please, read the report of a recent (5/28/01) encounter with a less than timid gator. Understand that the estimate of size is a conservative one and that any suggestions with regard to behavior around gators is given in good faith. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -------------------- Had quite and unusual gator encounter today. Paddling in Big Muddy Cove, Georgetown, FL. Had one paddler with me. Encountered a large gator (8'). Was not on course to contact gator and was 30-40 feet away. Gator was between me and the shoreline. Gator was at least 70' from shore. Water is at least 3/4 mile wide. Gator submerged. Watched bubble trail head directly for kayak. Found this highly unusual, until, encountered second gator 100' away. Similar course and distance, no threat to gator. This gator displayed similar behavior, submerged and headed directly towards kayak. Bubble trail was closing in. Looked down to watch gator pass under kayak. Gator chose to surface alongside kayak and slung its head sideways, striking kayak about five inches from my hand. Collected my partner and evacuated the area immediately. Suspicion is that we must have unintentionally entered a nursery. Still, unable to completely explain behavior as we were 100' from shore and hatchlings would never be that far out. This area is seldom visited and we won't be visiting it for a while. I have always taught people that gators are binary systems. Well, this time of year they are definitely in the "on'" position. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- -------------------- Opinion from a gator behaviorist at University of Florida reinforced our nursery conclusion. Subsequent conversations with other backwater users suggests that gators in our area are becoming less timid. (My Opinion) Loss of habitat (due to development), increased gator populations (due to Gov't protection) and increasing human contact (more people boating or fishing) may all be contributing factors to increasingly aggressive behavior. I paddle extremely remote areas and have encountered in excess of a thousand adult gators and have never experienced aggressive behavior such as this. I know (knew)? how to act around gators. Please, do be cautious. Here is an address to a "Links Page" for people interested in learning more about the American Alligator. http://nersp.nerdc.ufl.edu/~biolab/crocpage.html Bruce McC www.wholeearthoutfitters.com *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
----- Original Message ----- From: "Natalie Wiest" <wiestn_at_tamug.tamu.edu> To: <Outfit3029_at_aol.com>; <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Tuesday, June 05, 2001 1:22 PM Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] gator encounter >Used to see 'gators there only rarely, > now it is unusual that a 2 hour paddle yields fewer than 4-6 of them. Must take quite a few kayakers to keep that population thriving; I wonder how many kayakers 4-6 gators go through in a week? All that plastic and composite material must be hard to digest, or do they just belch out the paddle and boat? Craig *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Something to keep in mind is that a gator can jump out of the water 1/2 of it's length if it wants to. Think about those gatotors that leap for chickens at the gator parks. I was paddling through an overgrown canoe trail in the Glades a couple of years ago when I slowly rounded a corner and a 6 or 7 inch gator who had been sitting on a stump jumped and landed on the deck. I kept thinking.."Where's Mama?!" Never saw mama and the baby eventually jumped into the water. cya *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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