Alligator Attack - Defense Fundamentals

[DandyDon]

Our dive team leader claims to have grabbed a gator underwater. He thought it was the bumper of the car we were looking for until it moved off. The team completed the dive and got the car.

And turned loose immediately....! I can see his eyes wide open in his mask.

 

[CBulla]

I am blown away by the collective first-hand gator knowledge in this thread. Ya'll have been holding out on us.

Iffn ya want, I can post pics of gators between the tires of my Jeep next time I go out and get it dirty

 

[Misplaced Priority]

Diving in the black water of the Cooper river here, I've come face to face with a couple of big ones in 5" of visibility. I don't know who scared who the most but we both freaked and hauled *****. I'll dive with sharks any day. I hate those prehistoric lizards. Once while fishing, I saw a 6 footer swiming on the surface 1/2 mile offshore. Whats up with that?

 

[dbombtek]

Gators are extremely territorial animals and as such will attack anything that enters their area. Always look for signs such as slick mud banks, and the possibility of a nest. A gator will normally show its self prior to an attack to try and scare the intruder off, this usually involves the gator surfacing and showing how big it is.
Most of the springs that are divable in Florida are good clear water so I would not be to worried about an attack. Your best defense is your eyes and ears prior to a dive to look for signs that they might be trouble.

 

[Sveta]

hmmm:huh: Allegators don't live in salt water, why would you want to dive in fresh? BTW, Are there are any good dive river/lake sites in FL?

and.... 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. Good luck and be safe.

 

[The Chairman]

Gators swim in salt and fresh alike... though they seem to prefer fresh.

 

[The Chairman]

Our dive team leader claims to have grabbed a gator underwater.

We were doing a fossil dive in the Tomoka river a few years ago. The guy leading this dive, was taking us downstream and going too fast. He had yellow fins and I remember seeing them head up way too quickly. I ascended to find him quite in a panic. Apparently he thought he had found a meg tooth and tried to pick it up. Bwahahahaha. I told him the Gator was all the way to the Atlantic by then. Anyway, he decided to get out and walk to our exit point through the woods. We finished our drift dive and had to wait a half hour for him to catch up.

 

[Sveta]

Crocodiles do, but allegators live in fresh water. They could be seen fairly regularly in saltwater habitats but they more tolerate saltwater than live in it.

 

[Currahee Vet]

NetDoc: Give 'em hell, Gator!!! Don't let those Tally-town wannabes claim the last hit -- us Hogtowners gotta stick together.

Sveta: Dorogaya, u nas est ochen mnogo pricrasniye mesta v Floridi -- 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.

==================
FSU English Professor: "Q: What the thing that comes at the end of a sentence?"

FSU Athlete: "A: Probation."

 

[DandyDon]

hmmm:huh: Allegators don't live in salt water, why would you want to dive in fresh? BTW, Are there are any good dive river/lake sites in FL?

A lot of Florida divers do hit the springs, I've read, more in the northern part I think. I wouldn't fly there to do that kind of diving, but some would - more so the cave divers, I believe.

From one net source...

HABITAT:
Primarily freshwater swamps and marshes, but also in rivers, lakes and smaller bodies of water. They can tolerate a reasonable degree of salinity for short periods of time, being occasionally found in brackish water around mangrove swamps, although they lack the buccal salt-secreting glands present in crocodiles. Construction of burrows is well documented in this species. The burrows are used for shelter and hibernation when the seasonal temperatures fall. Even outside their burrows, they can tolerate limited periods of freezing conditions They modify their habitat through the creation of 'alligator holes', which provide a refuge for other animals during dry periods. These are excavated using both snout and tail. Once these dry out, however, the alligator crosses land in order to find another body of water. Alligators near human habitation are often seen crossing roads, entering suburbs and finding shelter in swimming pools during the drier months.

From another...

To keep safe, alligator specialists offer these tips:

Never, ever feed an alligator. Most problem gators have been fed, which causes them to lose their fear of people. In Florida, feeding alligators is against state law -- and is punishable by 60 days in jail and a $500 fine.

When in alligator habitat, stay alert, particularly at key feeding times near dawn and dusk. Don't swim or wade if possible. If you have to, be sure to scan the water carefully for lurking gators. They can look like logs floating just under the surface.

Don't clean fish or feed ducks in gator habitat. The free meals can attract alligators.

Keep small children and dogs away from the water's edge. Alligators eat small prey, and nearly half of all known human fatalities were children under the age of 12.

When boating, don't dangle arms or legs in the water.

Stay at least 35 feet from an alligator on land. They can move quickly.

Don't disturb babies or nests, which look like big mounds. Mother alligators closely guard their nests.

I was walking around a Texas State park known for its alligator population once, and the locals gators were accustomed to tourists walking nearby - but I have them a lot of room. Saw one couple walking around with a free running toy poodle - what idiots.

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: