Kirk67
Registered
I was wondering if anybody has been diving down south and encountered a gator while diving? If so, how did it go?
Just a thought
Kirk
Just a thought
Kirk
Any face to face with gators?
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While I was working as an inland commercial diver in FL I was often 'close' to gators.
'Close' is a relative term and there are no absolutes in this stuff.
By close I mean 'in the same retention pond' or within 100 yards.
Gators will generally avoid people in general and also divers. The problems come in when people have been feeding or harassing the gators. Fed gators or gators that hate people are very dangerous. Most gators are not all that agressive.
If in doubt, stay away from the gators.
Most of the places people dive are not attractive to gators so encounters are rare.
'Close' is a relative term and there are no absolutes in this stuff.
By close I mean 'in the same retention pond' or within 100 yards.
Gators will generally avoid people in general and also divers. The problems come in when people have been feeding or harassing the gators. Fed gators or gators that hate people are very dangerous. Most gators are not all that agressive.
If in doubt, stay away from the gators.
Most of the places people dive are not attractive to gators so encounters are rare.
Thanks for the info. I would call same pond close. I agree with you about people feeding gators. It is a very bad idea. It is the same with bears,dont feed them. Only bad things can happen. I would actually like to see a gator while diving. However,keep a distance so not to aggrevate the animal. I am as facinated by gators as I am by sharks.pipedope:
Stay wet,dive safe
Kirk
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
I believe people have run across gators in some of the FL springs - I would like to say that Alexander has smaller ones if I remember correctly...
No first hand experience though!
No first hand experience though!
They hate bubbles... the best protection for MOST critters is a blast from one of your secondaries. Really. They will run from most divers. Though I have not been close to any gator that was longer than 6-7 foot, I don't think I would be concerned with any shorter than 12.
SuPrBuGmAn:
yep,
you are right.. I taught in Orlando for a while with Odyssea Scuba (originally from your neck of the woods-grew up in Mobile-could return soon...) and we saw a small gator. It was a cool morning in January, so my guess was it was hanging out near the warmer water.. I'd probably say 2 or 3 feet. Kinda looked like those caymans you may see at pet stores. I probably dove Alexander 100 times or so that year and we only saw it once. It was very calm and bugged out after we figured out what it was, but when you have 8 divers on checkout dives, no decent sane wildlife sticks around. Also had an encounter with a beaver (or what we think could have been a beaver-it was quick) there the next month. Of all the places I dove when I was there I enjoyed it the most, reminded me a lot of Cypress.
I was more scared of the eels at Vortex than of the small gator at Alexander. For a good time, next time you are at Vortex, zip tye a hot dog to your buddys reg yoke...
Danny
It was a river otter... we don't have beavers that I know of. Be careful as they do "nip" and can carry rabies.
SuPrBuGmAn:
There is a huge gator at Alexander Springs
I much rather dive with sharks than gators. When they are hungry, anything that moves is on their menu. I have dove with gators nearby...stayed very aware of their presense. Know one guy that was bit gathering golf ball at the Cocoa Beach Country Club. Gators are evil!
SuPrBuGmAn
Contributor
BoulderScubaGuy:
I'm going to have to make my way to Alexander Springs some time, I definately wouldn't mind seeing a gator at some point
maybe I'll be lucky. I live near Mobile(Loxley), but I'm actually from Gretna, LA(near New Orleans). As for the eels at Vortex I know all about em.
If you think there are alot at Vortex, try Morrison. There are atleast twice as many!
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