If you don’t live full-time in Florida, the “alligator – caution” signs are disconcerting at first. For a day or so, you keep a close eye on the riverbanks and the water surface. You imagine what might happen if you fall overboard. You wonder how many teeth they really have.
But after a few days and several sightings, they become part of the backdrop. The ‘gators around here are pretty small compared to the ones I remember in the Everglades. They really don’t want to tangle with us, and they avoid humans. But they are still carnivores. They eat fish, birds, other reptiles…and small mammals, so Boo stays inside the boat. And they have the capacity to chomp on large mammals too — i.e., me — if I happen to startle one. So I stay out of the water, which is hard for me to do in this humid heat. They don’t keep me off the water, though. I’m out daily in the dinghy or a borrowed kayak, and now I look for them. If I paddle silently, I can sneak up pretty close. I might even put in my paddle board, although I’ll wait until the weekend boating activity eases up. I don’t want a sudden wake to send me overboard into a startled jaw! I have good balance, but no need to test it that way. Photos of my ‘gator sightings below.
For Many Moons 