Alligator Attack - Defense Fundamentals

[Walter]

Gators can go in salt water for short periods only. They cannot live in salt water. Some crocodiles (at least 2 species) can live in salt water.

i was talking to one marine biologist i've met in Queensland and he described me a crocodile behaviour. Unlike sharks, crocodiles almost never let its prey escape.

Also, when someone is rescuing a victim from a shark, the shark will usually leave, but will sometimes continue to attack the original victim. Sharks almost never attack the rescuer. Gators and Crocs will readily attack rescuers.

unless you've explored some of the crystal clear springs and rivers you'll never know what you've been missing. 72 degree water temp year round, a chance to see manatees up close, and as you can tell from earlier posts -- perhaps a chance to interact with a true living dinosaur.

Birds are found around fresh and salt water and even far from any dive sites, so you don't have to dive the springs to interact with a true living dinosaur. I do agree, everyone should dive the springs at least once. It gives one a better appreciation for the ocean.

 

[Walter]

I've seen the warning signs for Crocodile Crossing on the hiway from Florida City down to Key Largo. I think they're very rare. Don't know how they may compare in danger to the Asian or Australian. I don't plan any personal research. :11:

There's one documented case of a wild American Crocodile killing a person. It happened on Key Biscayne. In the 1920s a man shot a 14 ft croc twice, then to show it was dead, he kicked it. It wasn't, but he soon was. His companions captured the crock and sold it to an alligator farm. The croc was drowned by a 14+ ft alligator in 1952. Before its death, its owners put children on its back to pose for photos. In the 20s and 30s, posing on alligators was common in Florida. It's not a recommended practice.

Compare that to the Saltwater Crocodile of SE Asia and Australia. During WW II, in one night, crocodiles killed almost 1000 Japanese soldiers.

 

[Vayu]

I am a spring diver and in my opinion you do not need to fear gators. Respect them. Cultivate your awareness. As someone mentioned previously gators generally try to drown the victims. As a diver you have a readily available source of breathing gas and a SCUBA-gator death is not likely. That said they are wild animals and should be treated that way.

I DO recall reading about a diver getting tagged by a saltwater crocodile, and in florida we do have some crocs but they are limited to the everglades area. We also have bears and panthers... better watch out.

Respect their territory and by no means feed or harass them. Here is a gator I know. He lives at a local lake and does not like people :

-V

 

[The Chairman]

Пожалуйста. Если вы хотите написать на русском языке польза правильный алфавит!

There ain't nuthin' Greater than a Gator.

 

[Vayu]

There ain't nuthin' Greater than a Gator.

Thats true man... We are gonna win the SEC championships!

http://www.gatorzone.com/football/

-V

 

[Bill51]

I’m not so sure about gators not liking the salt water because my canal is so salty the manatee are always begging for a drink of fresh water – and I’ve got at least 3 gators living within 200 yards of my dock. We even cleaned out a big nest earlier this year with a couple young gators in it.

One fun evening we got to watch a manatee chase a gator off and that’s when I found out there is nothing slow about manatee when they’re in a hurry. We had a 5-6’ gator that had just been floating in the narrow of the canal when a manatee momma was coming in for the night with a calf and the gator was blocking their way. Well suddenly momma went for a dive leaving the calf behind and she came up square under the gator and it looked like she goosed him as he took off across the canal with her in hot pursuit for about 100’ before she came back to get her calf.

 

[The Chairman]

You know... I have been rammed by a momma manatee, but I have never been attacked by a gator. The manatee really hurt.

 

[Walter]

I’m not so sure about gators not liking the salt water because my canal is so salty the manatee are always begging for a drink of fresh water – and I’ve got at least 3 gators living within 200 yards of my dock. We even cleaned out a big nest earlier this year with a couple young gators in it.

I read about a test where gators were confined in salt water, they died within 12 hours. I'll see if I can find a reference.

 

[Itote]

Consider that a 30 foot croc, up and running is as tall as a horse!

That would be a big one, but fortunately for us there arent any know at that size. The largest one in captivity is in the 22-24 ft range. I was a nuisance wildlife trapper licensed in the state of Florida for about 10 years, and the biggest Gator I ever saw was just over 13 feet. As to answer the original post, I would probably foul the water to make me seem less appealing.

Gators usually leave people alone, but we are, as everyone knows ocassionally attacked. Most attacks are territorial and are carried out by the larger males. ( The gals generally dont get over about 9 feet long)
I honestly believe that we are part of the food chain but our size is what keeps us from being preyed upon more often. (Those idiots that feed gators are conditioning them to associate food with man so if you do it, please stop)I do know this, when your in the water, usually the only thing protruding is your head, which is about the same size as a duck. Ducks are of course on the menu so why wouldn't a gator take a swipe at you? As a matter of fact this happened about 4 or 5 years ago in Florida. Some guy was swimming right at dark and a six footer swam up behind him and grabbed him on the head. The guy got away but ended up with alot of stitches to fix his scalp.

Me and a couple of buddies were swimming in Lake Hatchineha a few years back and one of them noticed a big gator( 10ft) swimming for us. We figured he just wanted us gone at first but instead of the usual "my back and tail is out of the water look at how big I am" posturing, he was coming fast with just his head showing. By the time we got out of the water he was no more than 15 yards from us and as soon as he realized what we were when we stood upright he hauled but. Would he have attacked? I really believe he would have. If a big bull dont want you around they'll puff up and get as much of their body out of the water as they can to look as big as possible. This guy didn't do that .He was coming low and fast which is their hunting mode.
You often hear that they hunt primarily at night and this may be true but they are considered crepuscular, (most active at dawn and dusk)

I did witness an attack on a human being once. It was many moons ago I'm thinking maybe 20 years so the details are fuzzy but it the sight of it isburnt into my mind.. We were at Salt Springs in the Ocala National forest in Florida. There was a guy who swam out of the designated swimming area and into the run that conects into Lake George. He's probably 150-200 yards out and we see this BIG gator headed to him.We start yelling at the guy and at first he dont pay us any attention. By the time the guy hears what were screaming the gator was righ on top of him. The guy turns and sees the gator right as it grabs him. The gator shook him around for a few seconds and then spit him out, and swam of a short distance and stopped and just kinda watched the guy. Fortunately there was a kid that lived on the run( I think his name is Bruce if I remember correctly) that witnessed it and hopped in his boat and went out to help the guy. The gator started heading back to the guy ,and theres no doubt in my mind, or my parents mind, or the other 20 witnesses minds, or the Florida Game and Fish Commission that if the gator had grabbed the guy again it would have killed him. Anyways, ole Bruce shows up and positions his boat between the guy and the gator.Bruce then gets the guy and half drags him into the baot and hauls him to shore. Ems got there and picked the guy up and took him to the hospital. He suffered a broken collar bone, broken arm, broken ribs, and multiple lascerations. And if I remember correctly, had a hell of a time with infection. The Florida Game and Fresh Water Fish Commission had a sharp shooter and a trapper come out that night and they finally got a bullet and a harpoon and several holes from bangsticks into the old Bull. I helped load him into the back of a truck. He was 11 feet 7 inches long and they estimated his weight at around 550 lbs.

 

[Itote]

I read about a test where gators were confined in salt water, they died within 12 hours. I'll see if I can find a reference.

I've seen 'em in brackish water alot. I do know that unlike a croc, a gators nictating membrane ( inner eyelid) can be damaged due to salt water and it will eventually cause them to go blind.