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Gators.

My wife and I have a pair of stand up paddleboards and decided to go out to Sanibel for an afternoon paddle. We went to Bowman's Beach Recreational area, which has a lagoon between the parking/shower areas and the beach. We have walked over the pedestrian bridge many times to go surfing or swimming in the Gulf. A surfing buddy of mine has even joked that it would be quicker to paddle the lagoon than walk the crossover. There is a kayak and canoe launch on the parking lot side. As we launched, a kayaker was coming out and said he had seen a 3 footer and a 6 or 7 footer. No sweat, I thought, it'll be cool to see a couple gators from afar.

My wife launched before me and paddled up a couple hundred yards. I got in a little later and paddled toward her. Soon, I noticed a silt plume about 10 ft to my right, and something big swam under my board. The plume was being created by something big, moving awfully quickly. I called out to her, thinking the DO NOT FEED THE ALLIGATORS sign might have been ignored. She turned around as soon as I called her name. As she got closer I asked her why she turned around, as I hadn't told her about whatever went under me. She said she ran into a family of gators and that we ought to consider going into the Gulf. I told her she was being tailed by at least 3 gators, about 30 ft behind her! We saw two more gators on the way in.

Beautiful day to be out on the water, though!

 
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I might add that the water is only a few feet deep through here. I can only guess how many were just sitting on the bottom.
 
You will never catch me in something so small with alligator around.
Never again.

However, it was pretty cool to see about a six foot shark chase something in a small bay in Ding Darling Preserve last winter. It's speed and agility and perseverance were awesome! Though the start of the chase began about 10 yards from my wife's board, we never felt threatened. These gators were much too curious about us, and clearly not intimidated by us.
 
You will never catch me in something so small with alligator around.
Yeah man, always be in a watercraft larger than the biggest local predator. Lucky for me, a snapping turtle or an ill tempered beaver are about the scariest things in the water here. There are some really big alligator gar in the rivers, but they don't bother anybody unless you pull a six footer in the boat with you.
 
last week near Stuart FL...

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Gators don't spook me very easily but if I had one that big skirt under me I might get a little uneasy.

At my house there is a narrow oxbow lake just across the street where I launch my pirogue to go fishing and I have spotted a few gators here and there. Nothing big 2-5 footers. There is a 2ft. seawall on the populated side of the river/lake and natural bank on the opposite side for them so we don't have problems with gators coming up into our yards. pretty cool to watch them every now and then.

Had a buddy who went fishing in a one man fiberglass pirogue out in a little inlet connecting to Red River. He said it was really great bass fishing, caught a handful of decent bass in sort time, but in only being out there 15min. or so he spotted 6 alligators as long or longer than his 5ft. boat and they were all very curious about all the fish he was catching. He got outta dodge fast, as any sane person would.

It also just dawned on me how much I fit the Louisiana stereotype, I live near/on the water, own a pirogue, have alligators in back yard.

BTW I never thought my username would be remotely relevant on a shaving forum. ever.
 
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funny, I've lived in florida since the 90's, and I had never seen a gator in the wild.. till I went to the SC Foster forest to do some astro work. I was in a parking lot near the kayak rentals about 2am and suddenly all around me were glowing eyes in the water.
 
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