I suppose I must preface this with a DON’T TRY THIS AT HOME, though that would presume that you have an alligator at home. DON’T TRY THIS OUTSIDE OF HOME EITHER may be better. Or a succinct DON’T APPROACH ALLIGATORS is probably best. This is not a buildup to something terrible- there’s no interaction or attack in this story, but I don’t want to ever think that I gave someone the idea that caused one. It is very important to always maintain a safe distance from wild animals.
I found myself in South Carolina with my family in June of 2023, so I took advantage of the opportunity to head out to the swamplands looking for alligators and, as always, whatever else could be found. We saw a profusion of birds as we set off through the swampy preserve, mostly driving, but sometimes stopping to walk along the road. I would prefer to hike rather than this safari-style venture, but I find that I am rather attached to all of my limbs, and would like to stay that way. Because there were gators aplenty as well, dotted across the water like sentient stepping stones. They swam lazily, if they moved at all, in the noontime sun; yet one should not ignore the potential ferocity of these massive ambush predators or underestimate their speed.
I was on foot when I saw this one, and it soon disappeared beneath the water. Undoubtedly it saw me, too. Once the water closed over its head, it was gone without even a ripple to mark its location.
It is equally amazing and terrifying to watch such a large creature totally disappear. It makes you feel very small indeed- and I was glad to have the car nearby after all.
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