Are alligators a concern when diving some Caves in Florida?

[MORGAN]

I once dived an ocean cave that had a nurse shark. For some reason nobody on the dive stopped to verify that it wasn't a Mako. We all gave it the right of way

Another good reason to stay out of the ocean! Sharks!

I recently had to revise my conception of how many alligators might be in a body of water. Before 2004 I had never seen an alligator in the wild. Since then I've seen a few - dove Peacock with a 6 footer in the P-1 basin, finished a dive at Indian to find a 5 footer sunning itself on the raft, and took the boat ride at Wakulla and saw 8 or 10, including some really big ones. But no more than 2 or 3 at a time.

Then a few weeks ago Tracy and I went for a walk out the La Chua Trail at Payne's Prairie State Park. In the mile and a half walk out to the observation tower, we saw close to 200 gators. They were everywhere. Sizes from 1 foot to 12 feet or more; mostly big ones. There were places where you could stand in one spot, look around, and see 40 gators. Sometimes 6 or 7 10-12 foot gators almost touching each other on the bank. There's not that much water there - a couple of small ponds and a brook about 20 feet wide. I know they're reptiles and don't need to eat often, but it was hard to believe that so many big gators could make a living in such a small space. And those were only the ones we saw; I'm sure there were many more we didn't see.

[FW]

... it was hard to believe that so many big gators could make a living in such a small space...

It depends on how many tourists go through every day

[aa3jy]

By the size of this big boy..no wonder tourists seem to disappear here in the Okefenokee Swamp

Clay
aboard s/v Tango
Brunswick,Ga.

[MORGAN]

It depends on how many tourists go through every day

Fortunately when we were there they all looked pretty well fed.

We also saw an anhinga who had caught a fish which seemed just a bit too big for him to swallow. He wasn't willing to give up the attempt, and tried for 15 minutes to get it down while we watched. He'd pick it up, put it down, spear it with his beak, toss it in the air, change his grip on it, try to swallow it, throw it down, and repeat. He was still messing with it when we left.

[Lee]

Don’t worry about the alligators it is the locals that will eat you !!!

[JE]

I don't think it was visible before it attacker her. My point is.. gators are ambush predators. They are very adept at hiding below the surface, out of site when they are hunting. Seeing one at the surface in plain site typically means they are not in hunting mode.

Said another way.. It's the ones you don't see that you need to worry about.

Naw ....>all you need is an attack cat: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Duqvb-IRv9c

.......>then all is good !

[aa3jy]

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/dozens-o...inkId=35312980