Don't swim with the gators

Thought you guys here in FL would get a kick out of this:

Suspected Car Thief Eaten by Gator:

http://abcnews.go.com/US/Story?id=3858476&page=1

From the article:
"Since 1948, 275 unprovoked human attacks have been reported in Florida, with 17 resulting in death."

I always wondered how there are no incidents with wakeboarders there.
We visit there every summer and see a few gators each time.
So whats the trick guys?

Don't feed the alligators, always wakeboard near a large boat which scares gators away, and don't be a pu**y. AND if you want to worry about something while you are visiting FL, worry about the lightning and the sharks. WAY more dangerous. Not even close. Actually, I'm sure dogs are more dangerous statistically too.

Idk they just dont f with u i mean most (most* execept for a couple of my friends) wakeboarders dont go leaping after a gator they see on the side of the river.

The worst part is they are going to kill the gator. That thing is a local hero!

I've never ridden in FL except at OWC but I've been to FL a few times. Whats the deal with gators out there? Do they normally stay along the shoreline? Do you really ever see them in the middle of the lake? Gators are way less aggressive than crocs right?

As for gators vs sharks.... I'm inclined to think sharks are safer. Sharks, at least the types found here in FL, usually only bite people by mistake. When the water is merky with low visibility (like when it's rough and the surfers are out paddling) the sharks mistake peoples hands and feet for bait fish in the surf, and they immediately let go after they bite when they realize they've gotten ahold of the wrong thing. Unfortunately all those teeth can do a pile of damage in one bite. But gators will come after people and not let go, especially if it's mating season of they're really hungry. People aren't on the regular menu so gator attacks are relatively rare, but I'm not getting in the water if there are gators near by (or sharks for that matter). The real problems occur when they're not afraid of people any more.

As for when you see them; when the sun is out you'll see them out on the banks sunning. At night if you have a flash light you can see their little eyes on top of the water. They're near silent and don't leave much ripple when they swim, you won't know they're there if you don't see them. Some lakes have very few if any, some lakes have so many you can almost walk across the lake using gators for steps.

(Message edited by nowake on November 14, 2007)

17 people have been reported killed by gators. 17 in 60 years. More people died from food poisoning last year but I am not staying away from food.

These are sensational but an extreme rarity. Just be smart.

people r pretty stupid to be jumping into alligator alley....retards

"More people died from food poisoning last year but I am not staying away from food. "

Valid point; but more people ate food last year than swam with gators. How does this compare to people killed by the amoeba that has been in the news lately?

good point matt, i live outside of tampa and when the ameoba thing started it scared me alittle. it didnt stop me from riding but i was thinking about it when i was in the water. i think it scared me because i had never heard of it before. And as for gators, i never really think of them. i guess im just used to them having lived on lakes since i was 5. we always have fun with gators by fishing for them and trying to catch em. and down here we eat gators before they eat us.

After hearing this I'm no longer going to steal cars.

Saw this sign on the tv show called "Risk Takers" Dumb show but this caught my eye. The episode was about gator trappers.......what do yall do to those gators haha.

We eat them...

Don't want to be on the Gator Molester watch list.

Does anyone still have that picture of the little girl just getting up and there's a gator right behind her? I think it was posted by her dad in the other thread but that was a while ago and now I can't find the thread.

Karma

Years ago there was a guy who sued the University of Florida because his arm was bitten off while swimming at the Universities lake. He claimed the University was negligent in not warning people about the danger.

His lawsuit was thrown out when a picture surfaced with his shirt and shoes hanging on a sign similar to that above except it said, "No swimming area alligators present".

Darwin award?

I dont think they should kill the gator. Whats the point of that law? If you're swimmin in his world, you're taking a risk and are fair game. If a gator wanders through your living room, he's taking a risk and he's fair game.

Are we going to start passing laws to kill all natural predators to reduce the risk exposure to the human race? Retarded.

All I know is that if you swim across a lake or river and there are gators present, there will probably be a good chance they may come after you. These things don't care about you they are just hungry and thats what they do. Sharks on the other hand will swim right by you 99% of the time. We used to live in Orange county when I was younger and a friend and I were out boggie boarding around 7ish in the evening. We were the only ones out and out about 30-40 yards. All of the sudden a fin pooped up out of the water about 20 feet from us, the shardk wasnt huge maybe 5-6 ft from what I can remember but we froze, it swam right by us and then dissapeared. We were so scared we didnt want to paddle in case it came back. Finaly we looked at each other and paddled so hard and fast we got to shore within seconds. I have never had that much adrenalin in my life. Now if that were a croc i think it would have been a different story.

There is a big difference between a croc and an alligator.

You can swim in a lake with gators and not have them come after you. no problem. I just wouldn't do it at night or near a nest

a croc might go after you though.

A good tip, I never swim in a lake or ocean with bacon in my pockets. As you know, everything tastes better with bacon.

yes, bacon does make things taste better.

also, don't drag a chum bag behind your surfboard

"I dont think they should kill the gator. Whats the point of that law?"

The point is that gators aren't naturally as aggressive to humans as they are after people start feeding them. Anytime you have a resort like that, there are going to be people feeding the gators regardless of the law. There are plenty of gators out there and getting rid of ones that have demonstrated am aggression towards humans isn't retarded. It could be some kid dangling his feet from the dock that's the next victim.

^^^John's right. Plus, gators have been on the endangered species list in FL for a long time and their numbers too high, almost to the point that they are competing with each other for habitat. They have been trying to remove them from the list for a number of years, but once an animal is on that list, it takes almost an act of god to get them off, but that's another story...

The point of the law is that once a gator has started viewing humans as a food source, they will become a problem and they will attack.

The solution is to leave these animals alone. I would bet that the gator in question has enjoyed many human handouts. That is why feeding gators is illegal. People should know that feeding a gator is giving them a death sentence.

"It could be some kid dangling his feet from the dock that's the next victim."

^Kid/Parent exposes themselves to the known risk = gators fault, so gator dies.


"Plus, gators have been on the endangered species list in FL for a long time and their numbers too high, almost to the point that they are competing with each other for habitat"

^most likey because of human overpopulation.

People create the problem by feeding the gators and also choosing to live in and around their habitat. Gators pay?!?

Still seems pretty rediculous. We need more laws to protect us. lol

I only ride in my Malibu. Haven't seen a gator yet. Perhaps you all need my gator repelling boat!

"People create the problem by feeding the gators and also choosing to live in and around their habitat. Gators pay?!? "

Precisely, except for most people there are no question marks? It's illegal to feed them, but people do it anyway. That doesn't translate to.. let the gator kill or maim people.

Your point is obvious, but most people don't immediately conclude that we should let dangerous animals attack people simply because ignorant lawbreakers messed up their natural instincts.

Agreed.

How about relocation to the everglades or something.

Seems more reasonable.

I heard the rest of the story on local radio. It turns out the gator was taken to Miami, Gator USA or something like that. A guy there said something like, "This gator just has a really nasty disposition."

Yes, most gators will not seek out people. But I guess there are some who don't care what they eat.

I have always thought gators feed on fish and small animals and they weren't really anything to be afraid of. I lived in FL for years and they are just part of the environment. I was going to post that but thought I should first research it. Here is what I found on the reptile page. http://reptilis.net/crocodylia/gators/mississippi.html


"Diet
As it's large robust snout indicates, American alligators aren't too picky about what they eat. Their diet changes as they get bigger. A hatchling will make a living off of insects and small vertebrates, while a juvenile will have a diet consisting of fish, crustaceans, and small mammals. Finally adults will eat, snakes, large fish, large mammals (i.e. cows and calves) turtles, birds, and clowns....um well maybe not the last one
One of the most amazing things I've seen is just how strong an alligator's jaws are. I've seen an adult crunch through a large freshwater turtle shell. Very amazing animals.

Hunting
American alligators are ambush hunters. Now that doesn't mean that they will just sit in one spot and wait for something to come along. No nothing like that. Alligators have territories, which are certain stretches of river. On that river the animals will patrol the shores and keep their eyes open for potential prey. If some deer should come around for a drink, the alligator will submerge and head closer to the animal. When it gets within striking distance the alligator will then lunge out of the water and snap it's jaws on any available bodypart (since it's the water, that available bodypart is usually the snout) sometimes breaking the prey animal's bones in the process. Now the alligator will proceed to drag the animal into the water and drown it. American alligators are tough customers and large ones can easily tackle and hold down deer and even cattle.
Now that's for big prey. Smaller prey doesn't require so much ambush strategy. If an alligator is underwater and spots a good size fish it will chase the fish underwater and grab it, kill it, and eat it right then and there. Smaller animals can be taken too. Now a smaller animal is much harder to catch than a larger one. Why? Because smaller animals are a lot quicker, more agile and way more wary. So alligators generally grab small animals like the beaver sized rodents known as nutria, when they are swimming across the stream or taking a bath.

Alligators can also grab birds as the picture shows. An alligator can grab a low flying bird by jumping and even tail walking out of the water and snatching it in it's jaws. In some cases it's easy to grab a bird like a heron. These birds have huge wingspans and a slow takeoff time, so if an alligator is close enough CHOMP!"

Hmm- sounds like they do eat larger prey. I am going to look for more info but I am definitely getting rid of my 16' pet alligator.

"How about relocation to the everglades or something.

Seems more reasonable."

Probably because..

A) There are plenty of gators so they might as well kill it for the meat and hide.

B) They can't do "A" because by law you can't eat a gator that's eaten a person.

So, if you let it go in the wild it may end up on somebody's dinner plate in the future, which would violate the law. Regardless, there are plenty of gators so it's not a big deal.

I love it when people try to elevate animals to the level or humans. The gator ate a person it needs to be killed. Hell even if it did not there are way too many and they taste pretty good

Oh and by that logic if you are walking in a bad part of town and get robbed and stabbed then it is your fault and the cops should simply tell you you know the risk going there.

Heh Heh, good parallel George

George, Most anyone in Florida knows that if there is a non-salt water body of water, small or large, there most likely is a gator there. I've seen them in ponds near hotels, on golf courses (and I've only lived here a little over a month.)