I lead a 10 member underwater recovery team in SW Florida. My team dives around alligators quite frequently. It's not unusual for several to be around when we start our dives. If they've been fed, they can be aggressive, but normally they are just curious. One of my guys even grabbed one underwater during a search. When he first touched it, he thought it was the car we were looking for, but when he grabbed it, it moved off. Didn't bother us the rest of the call.
On another occasion, we were searching a shallow pond, and a medium sized (6') gator was sunning on the bank. My diver was having a difficult time staying down (depth was about 4-5'), and his fins kept slapping the top of the water. the gator got interested and went towards the diver, but broke off and eventually moved off.
Then there was the homeless guy that was camping by a canal. When we got there, two medium sized gators were still on him, and a huge one (every bit of 14') hovering around. We got them off and turned them over to fish and wildlife, and spent two days finding the rest of the guy. The big gator stayed around the whole time, but fish and wildlife were unable to get him. He left us alone, though.
Then there was the time I was searching under a bridge for a missing child. I was the first one in the water (which was chest deep), and was putting on my gloves (thankfully), while moving away from the boat. Something bumped my thigh hard enough to about knock me over (and leave a nice bruise). Given the setting (late summer, sunset, brackish water), I figure it was either a gator (most unlikely), tarpon, or bull shark. I keep telling myself it was a tarpon. It was a tarpon. I'm just glad I was wearing a drysuit.
To sum it up, in my experience small or mid sized gators aren't a problem unless they've been fed. Once they get above 8', they make me nervous, but we've never had a serious problem.
---------- Post added May 13th, 2014 at 09:10 AM ----------
I'd take that with a huge grain of salt.
---------- Post added May 13th, 2014 at 09:12 AM ----------
End of April through the first part of June.
On another occasion, we were searching a shallow pond, and a medium sized (6') gator was sunning on the bank. My diver was having a difficult time staying down (depth was about 4-5'), and his fins kept slapping the top of the water. the gator got interested and went towards the diver, but broke off and eventually moved off.
Then there was the homeless guy that was camping by a canal. When we got there, two medium sized gators were still on him, and a huge one (every bit of 14') hovering around. We got them off and turned them over to fish and wildlife, and spent two days finding the rest of the guy. The big gator stayed around the whole time, but fish and wildlife were unable to get him. He left us alone, though.
Then there was the time I was searching under a bridge for a missing child. I was the first one in the water (which was chest deep), and was putting on my gloves (thankfully), while moving away from the boat. Something bumped my thigh hard enough to about knock me over (and leave a nice bruise). Given the setting (late summer, sunset, brackish water), I figure it was either a gator (most unlikely), tarpon, or bull shark. I keep telling myself it was a tarpon. It was a tarpon. I'm just glad I was wearing a drysuit.
To sum it up, in my experience small or mid sized gators aren't a problem unless they've been fed. Once they get above 8', they make me nervous, but we've never had a serious problem.
---------- Post added May 13th, 2014 at 09:10 AM ----------
According to the Wildlife Biologist told me that an alligator is afraid of anything that is taller than it. That is unless you did something to piss it off. Therefore a diver on the surface is lunch.
I'd take that with a huge grain of salt.
---------- Post added May 13th, 2014 at 09:12 AM ----------
When is mating season?
End of April through the first part of June.