Gator
 

Beach time for this big ole gator.

I can see your shadow.... you are too close -- and perhaps a wee bit too reckless....

Appreciate your concern. I am on an ATV a good distance (30-50 ?) feet away from him. Ready to hit the gas at the slightest movement.

I used a 420 mm zoom lens on my camera and photo was cropped to make him appear closer than he actually was. I felt that I was a good distance from him, not to invade his space.

Nice picture!

Gator
 

Nice Picture but these guys need to go when they reach this size. Humans come first !

John Chesnut Sr. Park - Pinellas County

I recall walking around John Chestnut Sr Park in Palm Harbor, FL a dozen or more years ago and saw two older gentlemen sitting on a picnic bench. I approached from in back of it and asked then why they were sitting on the picnic table? They pointed towards a lake within John Chestnut Sr Park which was about 15 feet away from us. Over there was a large alligator that the prior picnic goers had decided to give it some lunch. They left but while heading away the older men approached the picnic table and the large gator came back for some more lunch near the picnic table. And the two Seniors jumped on top of the picnic table while the gator got bored with getting no more lunch and retreated back to the shore to sun itself. Think the two guys had been on top of the picnic table for 30 minutes or so.


They also had a crocodile in Lake Tarpon a decade or so back. Trappers Catch 11-Foot-Long Crocodile in Lake Tarpon | Palm Harbor, FL Patch

Another Pinellas County park borders Lake Tarpon. A.L. Anderson Park - Pinellas County

and if your vehicle stalled or tipped over on the slope. If he charged do you have nerves of steel? I've seen a person go full panic in an elevator that stopped between floors. He was an leo.

No, I’d say we invaded his space! We’re the ones that need to go!

:BigApplause: :BigApplause:

Do gators charge 30 feet to attack humans? I mean...is that actually a thing? How fast are they?

Joe

And "IF" a frog had wings, it wouldn't bump it's @ss when it hops...

If I'm in an elevator with an alligator and it gets stuck between floors, I'll worry...

No...

From the Google Machine:

"Alligators have a natural fear of humans, and usually begin a quick retreat when approached by people. If you have a close encounter with an alligator a few yards away, back away slowly. It is extremely rare for wild alligators to chase people, but they can run up to 35 miles per hour for short distances on land."

Yes, they can run at 40 mph for short distances. They needed a telephoto lens to get that photo safely.

Super big guy at Mangrove Executive golf course.