If I Fall in the Lake, Will the Alligators Get Me?

I bet they will only nibble if you fall in during October.

Just curious. If I go kayaking in Eastern or Western Lake, will the alligators nibble on me if I fall in? There was a mention in another post about biting flies and killer gators, so I just want to be sure.

I swam back and forth across stallworth lake a few times back in june and I was only bitten twice.

Just curious. If I go kayaking in Eastern or Western Lake, will the alligators nibble on me if I fall in? There was a mention in another post about biting flies and killer gators, so I just want to be sure.

If your husband is with you, and you go into your spinning in circles routine, you may be easy prey. ;-) So if I say they wont bother you, and you get bitten, or eaten, are we talking lawsuit? I think the sign should read, swim, or fall out of your boat, at your own risk -- Not that they couldn't just leap into your kayak and take you down anyway. My guess is that you will be fine unless you stumble onto a grandpa or a new mama with babies.

So odds are I will go home with the same number of body parts I came down with?

What if I drag a six-pack in the water? Are alligators tipplers?

I swam back and forth across stallworth lake a few times back in june and I was only bitten twice.

Was your thong on backwards?

Who on this board has really honestly seen an alligator in SoWal -- where, when, and what was the alligator doing? I heard that there were alligators at Camp Creek Golf course in the lake, but I don't know if that's true -- I heard golf balls were called 'gator bait.

Was your thong on backwards?

Ouch!

There was a alligator caught in the gulf near Whales Tail about a year ago - it was written up in the paper - they had had sightings of him by Crab Island the day before and he made his way to Whales Tail.

Who on this board has really honestly seen an alligator in SoWal -- where, when, and what was the alligator doing? I heard that there were alligators at Camp Creek Golf course in the lake, but I don't know if that's true -- I heard golf balls were called 'gator bait.

There are some pics in the gallery of the local lizards in the lakes around SoWal.

Who on this board has really honestly seen an alligator in SoWal -- where, when, and what was the alligator doing? I heard that there were alligators at Camp Creek Golf course in the lake, but I don't know if that's true -- I heard golf balls were called 'gator bait.

I have seen more than one is SoWal, and one on Black Creek, north of the Bay. Most recently, I noticed a juvi gator, only about 7' long in the appropriately named, Alligator Lake next to Gulf Trace. He is not big enough to mess you you, but he could be interested in a small dog. There are a couple of photos of him in my album. I think it was Big Redfish Lake where I saw another one last year. He, too, was only about 8' long.

Ouch!

Well did you?

In all seriousness, I won't be swimming in the lakes any more. After our trip, I got back and saw the alligator photos in the album and thought about how many times I swam across that lake.

There is just something about swimming in that dark, almost coffee-like water that makes me uncomfortable. Especially when you hit one of those strange cold spots out in the middle and your feet are just dangling there. : :shock:

I'm sure the gators would not bother people, but I'm not going to be the one to find out.

But then again, I'll probably be the one that gets bitten by a shark cause I do swim in the gulf.

Well did you?

NO! That never has provided much protection.

Who on this board has really honestly seen an alligator in SoWal -- where, when, and what was the alligator doing? I heard that there were alligators at Camp Creek Golf course in the lake, but I don't know if that's true -- I heard golf balls were called 'gator bait.

There was an alligator on our dock at Grayton during Labor Day weekend. He/she was a baby. We have seen alligators at our dock many times over the years. However...we (my family, cousins and friends, Pinkstons, Holmans, Morris', Kings, Fultons, McGees, Kennedys, Butlers, Gibsons, Davis', Mayos, Hughes', Wilsons, Cummings,Taylors, and all the rest)also swam in the lake all of our lives 50-60 years so far. We stayed in the lake every day, skiing, swimming, sailing. No one was ever attacked biten or anything by a gator and back then there weren't sooooo many people scaring them away. We only saw them in the evening at our dock and that was erratic and one at a time. Anyway, not to worry. Worry about cutting your foot open on an oyster shell. We have had plenty of people go to the ER with that!

There was an alligator on our dock at Grayton during Labor Day weekend. He/she was a baby. We have seen alligators at our dock many times over the years. However...we (my family, cousins and friends, Pinkstons, Holmans, Morris', Kings, Fultons, McGees, Kennedys, Butlers, Gibsons, Davis', Mayos, Hughes', Wilsons, Cummings,Taylors, and all the rest)also swam in the lake all of our lives 50-60 years so far. We stayed in the lake every day, skiing, swimming, sailing. No one was ever attacked biten or anything by a gator and back then there weren't sooooo many people scaring them away. We only saw them in the evening at our dock and that was erratic and one at a time. Anyway, not to worry. Worry about cutting your foot open on an oyster shell. We have had plenty of people go to the ER with that!

I hear you. I grew up skiing and swimming in a big lake with many gators, both big and small. I remember getting pretty scared when I was about waist deep in water when a 9'-10' gator popped its head above the water about 10 meters in front of me. He submerged and I did not see him again. Mostly, around here, they are seldomly seen, and you are lucky if you see one. Go up the rivers which feed into the bay, and you better stay in your boat at night. There are plenty of them up the rivers and creeks.

You are much more likely to get attacked by a driver behind the wheel of a vehicle as you attempt to cross Hwy 98.

Gators have been hunted almost to extinxtion here. Of the few that are around, once they get of any size, someone kills it because they're worried about their dog or child being eaten.

No one has ever been attacked here that I know of. The gators have plenty to eat. Usuually the only trouble is from people feeding them. The gators lose their natural fear of man (and dogs) and come to close.

I have 4 gators behind my house. One is 10 feet. His name is Albert.

So what is a bigger threat--gator or shark? :roll:

So what is a bigger threat--gator or shark? :roll:

Well...it's a toss up since no one at Grayton has been attacked by either (that I know of). Guess you'd have to check the stats for Florida. Let's see who can find the answer the fastest...go Kurt.

Who on this board has really honestly seen an alligator in SoWal -- where, when, and what was the alligator doing? I heard that there were alligators at Camp Creek Golf course in the lake, but I don't know if that's true -- I heard golf balls were called 'gator bait.

I had an up close and personal encounter with a big alligator....on the lake behind the Pinkstons, in Grayton. (I'm not sure about west lake, east lake and all the official names of these places are, I just know where they physically are) I was crabbing, leaning down over the side of the pier, on my knees....and I had a tug on my string, so I start to pul it up slowly, got my net ready to scoop up my crab, much to my surprise, me and Mr Gator was almost nose to nose. Honestly I think I scared him as much as he scared me. I was about 10 then, and I went right back to crabbing.....now I would probably pass out!

So what is a bigger threat--gator or shark? :roll:

I read that people die from dog bites (I think it's about 20 per year) more often every year than by sharks (5 - 15 per year). Approximately 100 people die each year from peanut allergies.

There was a alligator caught in the gulf near Whales Tail about a year ago - it was written up in the paper - they had had sightings of him by Crab Island the day before and he made his way to Whales Tail.

If I were an alligator...I may make the same route. Sounds like a fun weekend to me! :clap_1:

I saw a gator in Western Lake while canoeing a few years ago. My neighbor saw a big gator in Mack Bayou at the beginning of the summer. A friend took a picture of an alligator at his bayfront house about the same time. I had always thought there weren't gators in the bay, but I was wrong. It hasn't stopped us from jumping in off our dock, swimming around, tubing or other fun boat stuff.

I would not walk a small dog near one of the lakes or take it fishing, either. The guy who sculled for my father for years had a horrifying (and he swore, true) story. His dog always sat up on the stern of the boat when they went out. One day while fishing in the river, a large gator followed the boat for about 15 minutes, finally knocked the dog off the stern with its tail, ate the dog (of course). Too many poodles go missing along the canals further down in the State for me to feel comfortable taking a small dog near any body of water that could be home to a gator.

As long as I can remember, there have been alligators in Lake DeFuniak. Some times bigger than others. You could sometimes hear them bellow in the night, if you were in the lake yard at the right time of night. One of the larger ones took a stroll down Main Street when I was about 12 years old, scared the old guys sitting under that gazebo called "The Opinion Place" half to death. They hadn't moved that fast in years. Another time, my MI husband and I were walking around the lake and he sighted a baby gator of about 5 ft. long, sunning itself at the edge of the lake. My family scared him with gator stories the rest of the night. I guess one gets accustomed to reptiles living in FL.

Three years ago I saw a small alligator right close to the little bridge on 30-A between Grayton and Seaside. I never would have noticed it, but several people had stopped and were throwing rocks at it . It was small.

Scared yet? These small ones (<7') are harmless for the most part.