The ‘gator didn’t move a muscle – he just sat there, smack in the middle of the path. Should I just turn around and go the other way?! (This trail happens to be bordered on both sides by swampy waterways that are frequented by American Alligators.)
But the guy above who was walking toward me on the trail didn’t even pause…. He just kept going!! And sure enough, guess what the alligator did (fortunately 😬)!?
Birder's Journey 
Love it! Always a bonus to get a gator when birding! William
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So true, William! And here in the Florida marshes and swamps, it’s pretty common place!
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That is one big ‘ole gorgeous gator, I love that hefty tail!
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Agreed, Donna! I took the first shot with my camera, and several minutes later took the second one with my phone. I was really struck by that big wide tail.
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wow! what do alligators eat?
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When asked that question, someone once famously answered, “Anything they want!!” Seriously Yishai, the ones we see eat fish, wading birds, and turtles (even baby gators 😒). But they also eat mammals, depending on what else is found in their habitat.
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It could have been trying to warm up using any heat in the trail.
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They do spend a lot of time lying alongside the pathways or on the stream bank to warm up. Maybe that’s why this guy was just not in a hurry to get to the other side.
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Wow! Hopefully he’s a regular who’s learned how to judge their behavior and so mostly knows what he’s doing. I have to say, knowing what little I currently do, I’d have stopped and watched, wondering as you did, capturing photos while trying to decide. Did he make any noise as he approached, or did he just keep walking? We don’t have much around here that would give me pause as an alligator would. Perhaps a black bear, though they usually stay hidden or run off quickly.
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He didn’t make a sound, Todd. But interestingly, an hour later I heard no fewer than 15-20 different gators bellowing as I walked these same trails! Something they do during mating season. It’s a deep, rumbling, low roar – almost sounds like a lion growling, and reverberates throughout the preserve!
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How nice that the reptilian roadblock just kept going.
Nice pics!
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Yes! I was very relieved that he didn’t suddenly take a right turn!!
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Love that you caught it. We have the same thing here, but they usually don’t move. We walk around them, and yep water on both sides of the trail 🤣🤣. Nice shots 👏👏
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Thanks Ted. I was too nervous to walk right past his nose, there was no room to work behind him. Funny, just the other day at another Wetlands site, someone said to me “Just remember to never walk between a gator and the water.”😬
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Now that is the best advice. Also just how big is the gator? Humans look like giants to them, us standing on two feet. They really don’t want anything to do with us.
Still, best to be safe 😀.
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I agree, Ted. Luckily we are not on their regular menu! I’d say this gator was probably close to 8’, not a really large one.
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Wow!! Absolutely amazing, what an experience and what a surprise. These fantastic creatures are not found here in Malta. Lucky you! Great images!!
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Thanks Anita! We weren’t used to them before we moved to Florida, either. Never saw them in upstate New York 😉. But we learned a lot about how to be cautious around them since we’ve lived here.
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Wow, that guy was brave! Is he carrying a cat on his shoulder too?
Cool look at the Alligator though! 😀
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Actually that man was carrying a long thick stick on his shoulder. He told me that he just walks confidently toward them and knows that they’ll just get out of the way. Which is exactly what happened.
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May it always be so!! 🤞🏻 😀
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Love sightings like that! I would have turned around if the other guy hadn’t come. He must have been a regular and could judge appropriately. What a beautiful place to walk!
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Yes Pam, that man is a regular there, and said he’s had many experiences encountering gators along the trails. I also would not have ventured forward any further if things haven’t turned out the way they did when the man came along!
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I’m glad he didn’t stop for a snack!! Round here it’s more likely to be a duck or a swan that we meet while out for a walk – a lot less exotic but at least they don’t try to take a nibble out of passersby. 🙂
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Yes, Ann, I still think of it as exotic that we see so many alligators. They are pretty much everywhere we frequent to go birding. Fortunately, they don’t generally bother humans, but they can be unpredictable if you venture into their territory, especially during mating or nesting season or when their hatchlings are still very small.
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I also would have stopped and watched, but some folks need to keep on walking! I was also wondering what he is carrying on his shoulder, which is not to say I was not fascinated by the alligator. They are distinctively different to the Nile crocodiles we get here, which is not to say I come across them when I go walking 🙂
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Thanks for your visit, Carol! I think I’d be far more frightened to encounter a Nile crocodile – yikes!! The man was actually carrying a long thick stick on his shoulder.
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It is fairly unusual these days for Nile crocodiles to be encountered outside of conservation areas although of course they do sometimes move along waterways or even get washed down rivers in floods.
Perhaps the stick was the man’s secret protector against any recalcitrant alligators 🙂
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I think you’re probably exactly right about the stick, Carol. It was pretty hefty and quite long!
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😮
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Great to see a Gator out birding BJ, and even greater that it moved on when the man approached it. He must be a local who knows these critters have the fear of man in them.
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I think you’re 100% right, AB. The man was confident that the gator would move on, and the gator had no intention other than to eventually get to the other side – even though he clearly was in no hurry!
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Just be careful, Carol, keep your distance, they can run faster that you! Nice shot. 🙂
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You are so right, HJ. If there’s one thing I’ve learned since living in Florida, it’s how important it is to respect and be cautious around alligators!
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Now this is a road block I don’t mind encountering!
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It was certainly an interesting encounter! I’m usually pretty nonplussed about seeing gators in our midst, but I don’t usually bump into them just sitting there right in front of me too often!
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Here we have a saying that it’s the crocodile you don’t see that you need to be worried about..!
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Wise saying, de Wets! I guess the same thing could be said about the alligator you don’t see. 😉
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Beautiful creature!
Hope that “confident man with a stick” continues to be lucky. Alligators are wild animals and, despite what some think, are unpredictable. His attitude of continuing to walk thus making the ‘gator move is not something endorsed by wildlife biologists. If one is not patient enough to wait for an animal to move of its own accord, one should find somewhere else to walk.
Sorry for the rant. Pet peeve.
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Thanks so much for your comments, Wally. I believe you are absolutely correct. There is signage everywhere warning people not to harass or approach gators, and reminding us that this is their home and we are visitors.
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Fantastic shots!
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I really appreciate your visit and your kind comment, Lorri! Hope all is well with you!☀️
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WOW he is a BIG one! No way I would have kept walking like that gentleman did.
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I also had no intention of walking on, Judy! And, in retrospect, I am very grateful that the gator didn’t just turn and head toward me when the man kept walking!👀
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Oh, my goodness! I think that would have scared me a bit. 😳
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I admit that I was hesitant at first, and thought I should just turn around and go the other way.
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