I recently made a trip out into nature and found some Alligators. Seeing these live is a new experience for me having just moved here, but is apparently quite common here in Florida.
There was actually a news blurb of a nearby resident finding a 10 footer in their pool that had to be removed by the wildlife commission (not this one).
The Florida Wildlife Commission has estimated there are over 1.3 Million Alligators in Florida.
There is actually a Nuisance Alligator removal hotline to call down here because it happens so frequently. They handle over 15,000 complaints and remove over 7,000 gators per year.
On the prowl.
These are all straight from the camera, no cropping. But don't worry, not taken up-close with the mobile phone, all shot with a 200-600mm telephoto lens from a safe distance! (don't try this as a selfie, lol). These guys look lethargic, but can sprint up to 35 mph for short distance on land, and swim 20 mph in the water. Yikes!
In Florida, Gators can get to be over 14 feet (1/3 meters) long, and over 1,000 pounds (453 kg), with the longest in Florida over 17 feet long.
Hey Hey, the gang's all here!
Smile for the camera!
I've got my eye on you!
I found this heatmap of Alligator attack sites quite fascinating. According to the FWC website, there have been 453 unprovoked bite incidents and "Only" (Only?) 26 fatalities from 1948 to 2022.
heatmap source: storymaps.arcgis.com
All photos original work by the author of this post unless otherwise cited.
Shot with Sony A7 RIV with 200-600mm Sony lens.