We spend some of our free time aboard a boat. We might be out for a few days or a few weeks. We cruise at a slow 5 mph. It’s a slow moving trawler. So we get to see a lot of wildlife that most folks miss. Look at this beauty. Just out of the water and still clean and shiny.
This is another good sized gator.
Look at the size of his thigh and claws. It’s not just the teeth you have to worry about.
I have to take my little dog ashore in an inflatable dingy. It has a 2 hp motor but I row most of the time if looking for something to photograph. We had just gotten back into the boat when the little 5 –6 footer raised up in the lily pads with a fish in it’s mouth. He had to raise up and toss it back into his mouth. I was too slow getting the camera ready, but, if you look closely…you can see the fish’s tail.
He was about 10 feet from us.
Look at all the birds sitting around the gator. None of them look nervous. Maybe they know how to tell when they are hungry.
I missed all the action in the next picture. They are 50 to 75 ft away and I zoomed as quick as I could…but missed the fight..or whatever it was. The one with his head out was bellowing and posturing, while I was getting the camera he and another one did the “death roll” thing with water splashin’ and flying everywhere. When they got done, there were 5 of them in the area, just cruising around looking at each other. There are 3 in this picture. The one in the center is quite a bit smaller.
this was supposed to post to my "river" blog...
ReplyDeleteCarol, this is so interesting. I love the first shot where you get a glimpse of his reflection in the water at the bottom of the shot. Great capture!
ReplyDeleteSeeing these gators so close blows my mind. They're soooo BIG, with teeth, strong jaws and those strong thighs and claws. Must have been exciting to see their little tiff. Great captures.
ReplyDeleteI'm glad it posted here! Wonderful to see these pictures of the 'gators, since I never get to see them in person. Love that first shot showing his reflection in the water.
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't want to meet one of those guys eye-to-eye! Nice photos.
ReplyDeleteCarol, just in case you haven't found it, there is a place under Edit Post where you can delete a post. I keep stumbling across ways of doing things on Blogger that are "Well, duh" moments for me, and I don't know why I didn't see them before.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the photo showing the herons and egrets posed around the gator with all the gracefulness of a symphony.
ReplyDeleteYou're brave going out on a little boat with all those gators nearby! And it's true that birds are generally not scared of them; I've even seen egrets sunning themselves while standing on TOP of a sleeping gator!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting and good shots but I think I'll stick with the rattlesnakes, they're bad enough. These guys are a little too big and too eerie looking!
ReplyDeleteany pythons?
ReplyDeleteI think watching gators in their habitat would be grand -- so long as we maintained a respectful distance from each other.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how lazy these creatures can seem. Their lethargy belies their strength and power! I would have been scared in a wooden boat or canoe, never mind an inflatable dingy! You and the dog could have been dinner!
ReplyDeleteI saw a program on Discovery or something about gators, and if I am not mistaken, when they do the posturing thing, they are trying to impress the ladies. What a great thing to witness!
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