One of the curious gators in the Okeefenokee Swamp.  This one was about 12ft long and moved very well for such an old guy.

This 8 footer is a resident of Payne's Prairie near Gainesville, FL.  He was very close to the end of the La Chua trail almost under the observation platform.  I approached fairly closely but he wasn't interested in anything but soaking up the sunshine.

St Mark's Gator

I'm still not sure if this gator is sitting on a nest or if it was just a resting place.  She doesn't look rested and didn't like me being nearby.  It looks like a nest and she acts like it's a nest but I've never seen one built in such a precarious and exposed place.  I didn't have the time to observe it long enough to find out and I really don't like agitating animals, especially when they are nesting or feeding.  In the long run it doesn't matter whether it is or isn't, it's a beautiful gator and a beautiful setting.  I took this photo in the St Marks National Wildlife Refuge which is located on the gulf in the Big Bend area of Florida.

Oklawaha Gator

I saw this gator during an early morning walk along the dike at the Sunnyhill Preserve.  The trail beginning at Hwy 42 east of Weirsdale is a great place to combine exercise with wildlife observation.  In addition to the gator we saw a variety of egrets and a couple of egrets.  There are also a couple of Osprey nests on platforms above the orange groves on the drive to Sunnyhill.

Emeralda Marsh Gator

This photo was taken from one of the dikes running through the Emerald Marsh near Eustis, FL.  This gator was very interested in watching me set up the tripod and photographing some of the wading birds along the edge of "his" canal.  I prefer the full frontal view of the gators with just the eyes and nose out of the water but I found the reflections interesting here.  The marsh water levels are a little higher than a couple of months ago but still below the historical average.  The gators are a little more confined in the deep canals making it easier for me but, more importantly, a bit more difficult for them to find sufficient food.

Gator Stare

I didn't hang around to find out but I think this gator may have wanted a piece of me.  I was walking along the bank of a creek looking for wading birds or snakes and I found him.  Alligators normally don't hunt from ambush and people aren't their first choice for dinner but I didn't care for the intensity of the look he was giving me.  If you find yourself in a position like this you don't want to run because these guys can outrun you anyway.  There are many old Florida jokes about always walking in gator country with someone who runs slower than you do but I was alone and there are probably extremely few people that I could outrun anyway.  I just backed away slowly and thankfully he just stayed put.  I also have to be clear on one thing.  I was on his turf and it is my risk to be there.  My wife and I were at Emeralda Marsh the other day and she was down very close to the waterline looking at Pickerel Weed blooms and ran across a 4 foot cottonmouth.  The snake did what they always do and ran (so to speak) for cover.  It's called wildlife for a reason and it's our responsibility to use caution, they don't need to be destroyed or consigned to a zoo on our behalf.

Mama Gator

If you ever run across a mother gator and her young you want to stay some distance away.  They are very protective and quick to get extremely irritated with you.  This gator family was found on the La Chua trail in Payne's Prairie.  I'm always amazed to see young gators there because there are numerous large males inhabiting the same areas.  That must mean there is plenty of other food for them so they don't have to risk the consequences of going after the young gators.

Alligator Sunning on the Ocklawaha River

This is the only gator I saw on a recent 7.5 mile hike along the Ocklawaha River in the Sunnyhill Preserve.  It was braving temperatures in the low 60's but with an intense sun.  There were no turtles, snakes or other cold blooded creatures out.  I'm looking forward to making this hike again and am looking forward to seeing some of these on the same side of the river as the trail.  I'm also curious to see if there is any nesting activity along this stretch of the river.