If I Fall in the Lake, Will the Alligators Get Me?

[Paula]

So what is a bigger threat--gator or shark? :roll:

I read that people die from dog bites (I think it's about 20 per year) more often every year than by sharks (5 - 15 per year). Approximately 100 people die each year from peanut allergies.

 

[Kimmifunn]

There was a alligator caught in the gulf near Whales Tail about a year ago - it was written up in the paper - they had had sightings of him by Crab Island the day before and he made his way to Whales Tail.

If I were an alligator...I may make the same route. Sounds like a fun weekend to me! :clap_1:

 

[SGB]

I saw a gator in Western Lake while canoeing a few years ago. My neighbor saw a big gator in Mack Bayou at the beginning of the summer. A friend took a picture of an alligator at his bayfront house about the same time. I had always thought there weren't gators in the bay, but I was wrong. It hasn't stopped us from jumping in off our dock, swimming around, tubing or other fun boat stuff.

 

[DBOldford]

I would not walk a small dog near one of the lakes or take it fishing, either. The guy who sculled for my father for years had a horrifying (and he swore, true) story. His dog always sat up on the stern of the boat when they went out. One day while fishing in the river, a large gator followed the boat for about 15 minutes, finally knocked the dog off the stern with its tail, ate the dog (of course). Too many poodles go missing along the canals further down in the State for me to feel comfortable taking a small dog near any body of water that could be home to a gator.

As long as I can remember, there have been alligators in Lake DeFuniak. Some times bigger than others. You could sometimes hear them bellow in the night, if you were in the lake yard at the right time of night. One of the larger ones took a stroll down Main Street when I was about 12 years old, scared the old guys sitting under that gazebo called "The Opinion Place" half to death. They hadn't moved that fast in years. Another time, my MI husband and I were walking around the lake and he sighted a baby gator of about 5 ft. long, sunning itself at the edge of the lake. My family scared him with gator stories the rest of the night. I guess one gets accustomed to reptiles living in FL.

 

[Jdarg]

Three years ago I saw a small alligator right close to the little bridge on 30-A between Grayton and Seaside. I never would have noticed it, but several people had stopped and were throwing rocks at it . It was small.

 

[Smiling JOe]

Scared yet? These small ones (<7') are harmless for the most part.

 

[beachmouse]

I A friend took a picture of an alligator at his bayfront house about the same time. I had always thought there weren't gators in the bay, but I was wrong. It hasn't stopped us from jumping in off our dock, swimming around, tubing or other fun boat stuff.

Every so often, they have to trap nuisance gators that plant themselves too close to the parks in Boggy Bayou or by the swimming beach at Eglin AFB.

 

[Miss Kitty]

Hey Mermaid....maybe the good people of Seacrest will let you pracrice in that huge cement pond they have over there!!! Just watch out for the water rats wearing diapers!

 

[Smiling JOe]

Every so often, they have to trap nuisance gators that plant themselves too close to the parks in Boggy Bayou or by the swimming beach at Eglin AFB.

Yep, they "trap" them, and then the trapper gets to kill the gator, eat the meat and sell the hides.

 

[Beachlover2]

If I were an alligator...I may make the same route. Sounds like a fun weekend to me! :clap_1:

I think I did follow that route last May It was a lot of fun from what I remember.