Well, since Everglades National Park is synonymous with alligators, we'll start the highlights of our recent trip there with what can only be described as a "Show off Gator". This guy really wanted us to see his incredibly large (and pristinely clean looking) maw. So, how did we get to this point?
Well, we were hiking the Anhinga Trail, a very popular walk in the Everglades. At the end of a boardwalk, we paused to take in the beautiful scenery when this guy spotted me immediately. (Note I say me…not the SDP Jr. Editor who was present and accounted for on this adventure. I suspect I may have been viewed as a smaller, more manageable snack….but, who knows?!) For whatever reason, the gator made a beeline toward me as you can see in this video.
Although there was decent bit of separation between us (and I was elevated on a boardwalk), there's something a bit unnerving about an imposing beast like this staring you down and swimming straight for you. It didn't even wait to get on land before exposing it's massive white/pink mouth, teeth and all. Naturally, I was looking down at my camera at the time -- and almost missed the entire "gaping maw scene" which happened very quickly. Fortunately, the SDP Jr. Editor was on her game and alerted me: "It's mouth is OPEN!"
This is what it looked like without my long lens -- and no cropping. Welcome to the Everglades! It's perfect timing that we're sharing these photos, because it's National Park Week in the U.S. Although I've lived in Florida for almost 18 years, this was my first visit to Everglade National Park and I really enjoyed it. We'll be sharing more from this wonderfully wild and swampy area soon.
9 comments:
They are scary critters and I've gotten way too close to them at times. NO longer. We used to go to Shark Valley and on one trip around the 15-mile loop on bikes we counted 150 gators, many of which were laying in the middle of the road!
I was at the Everglades National Park once in Flamingo. But the mosquitos were so bad, we literally couldn't stay out in the open for more than a few minutes. I didn't see much of the park. :(
Oh dear.....saw one in the New Orleans area a couple of years ago during an air boat excursion. That was enough!
Fantastic pictures and I liked the video too! I've seen a lot of alligators before, but never one with its mouth open like that. I think I'd rather see gators than one of those huge pythons they have lurking around down there though.
Better see at a distance through a long lens, SRQ.
Scary, specially when you click and see the whole large gaping mouth ,teeth and all. What a shot.
That's one representative of Mother Nature that I'm perfectly fine to avoid in the wild. That gaping maw is fascinating, though. I'd not have expected such a bright white gape. Chilling, however...
What a beastie!
That's awesome! The inside does seem a bit too clean! :-)
Fantastic title! I can't believe how close you are. Anything within camera range to me 'would be to close'.
Post a Comment