Florida 'Gators

Charles Mason, a longtime TOP reader from Fairbanks, Alaska, has been endangering himself in the Florida Everglades over the past few days. I'm not sure he was in mortal peril from this guy...doesn't he look a bit fat, as if he'd already had his photographer for the day? But if getting up close and personal with Florida 'gators wasn't dangerous enough, Charles says that, while shifting around for a better shooting angle, and with nothing but flip-flops on his feet, he came within inches of stepping on a water moccasin.

_____________________

Mike  (Thanks to Charles)

Comments

[taran]

In Florida we shuffle our feet in certain submerged parts of the swamp (slough) to brush snakes out of the way before we step on them. Same technique is used in the florida keys to prevent stepping on stingrays. You learn to scrape the ground as you walk. Its also helpful to bring a walking stick to tap/prod any foliage and or submerged logs to see what could be lurking inside/underneath.

Even a dry bite (one that doesn't inject much venom) from a southern cottonmouth (water moccasin) can still leave you in pain for many months.

Here is a linky to a gallery I took down in the fakahatchee strand recently. If you visit friendsoffakahatchee.org you can find the dates they give swamp walks during the winter, a great choice for those adventurous photographers looking to see the "real" florida.

http://www.artistwithlight.com/files/81cbff9da600cba46fcfcbc9976cde8c-23.html

[Gary Shepard]

Wow...
Anyone who would stomp through the everglades in flipflops NEEDS to step on a water moccasin (also known as a cottonmouth) - just for good measure. I mean, Jeez, look what happened to Jimmy Buffet when he was just wandering around Key West in flip flops!

[Miserere]

As they say, better him than me!

Great B&W rendition, and a bold crop/composition to boot (no pun intended).

[Ron H]

I went to UF in Gainesville, FL. We had some alligators living on campus. There was one in the pond right next to one of the dorms I lived in (Graham Hall). I have a picture around here somewhere of a pair of coeds sunbathing with an alligator 100ft away.

Someone official would come chase the gator back into the pond if he came too far out.

[Nigel Robinson]

Gator's? Not nearly as dangerous as a hedgehog, in the wrong hands

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7334233.stm

Great picture. Looks like something Escher might have shot.

N

[darr]

Now here is getting up close and personal with a gator:

http://cameraartist.com/index.php?showimage=181

[bac]

I guess it depends on the photographer if the photo is worth taking the risk.

You can also find gators at Myakka River State Park. Here is a photo of one of the locals.
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1242/1394809308_22711cdd23_o.jpg

[Jim Allen]

Moccasins are a LOT more aggressive than gators, I wouldn't sweat walking around the gators so much, but cottonmouths should be rated up there with Taz as far as temperament goes...staying there for the shot took a real commitment. My hat is off to you, sir.

[charlie d]

I actually just came back from Florida 2 days ago. I busted my only lens (stoopid me) and was left with my Lomo (krappy cam)

I was hoping to get some good gator pics and the one posted is really excellent.

Got any more?!

Cheers

[Nick]

Random Excellence!

[Joe Boris]

That gator looks 'a bit fat' by virtue of the last photographer who tried straddling him for a close-up.

Having grown up in Florida and tromped through many-a-swamp, I can tell you that our gators don't cotton too much to the taste of us southerners (too tough).

But they truly love anything raised north of the Mason-Dixon line... and Canadians hold a very special place in their hearts... and gullets!