It makes total sense that our customers would be afraid of these normally docile animals. They have teeth, they are mean-looking, and they look very similar to the well-known saltwater crocodiles in Australia and Africa. This article isn’t designed to convince you to kayak with alligators, although we would love to take you out. It is designed more to educate the general public if they plan to kayak with alligators. If you are interested in one of our kayak tours please don’t hesitate to book one today!
When comparing the American alligator to the Nile Crocodile, the most important difference is what they eat. We have all seen those crazy videos of wildebeest crossing the crocodile-infested rivers in Africa. With that said, Nile Crocodiles regularly eat animals that are twice as large as a full-grown adult human. Now, let’s consider what the American Aligator eats. Typically, an adult alligator will prey on fish, snakes, turtles, small mammals, and birds. Ok, you might notice the word small mammal. The most abundant small mammal that an alligator eats in our location would be a raccoon, not a zebra.
So what is my point?
- My point is an alligator does not see a human as a food source, with one critical and super frustrating exception, and that is if an alligator is being fed by humans. If this starts to happen, then the answer is yes, alligators can be dangerous to kayakers. This is why it is so important not to ever feed an alligator!
Who feeds a wild Alligator? The most common instance in our area is a fisherman. Fisherman will often clean their catch of the day at the local boat ramp, then throw the waste in the water. If an alligator starts to associate people with a meal, then at that point, they can become dangerous. However, you still need to remember an Alligator does not see you as prey, but they can associate you with a meal.
What do you do when kayaking with alligators?
Alligators are considered docile and, for the most part, don’t want to have anything to do with you. We often kayak with alligators, and sometimes we must pass them while they are sunning themselves on a beach or sandbar. We try our best not to disturb them and have found the best way to keep them from entering the water is to not point your kayak directly at them and to utilize a smooth calm stroke. An erratic or fast-moving paddle seems to freak gators out. Following these suggestions, we will sometimes pass by a 10 footer within 10 yards, but
- if you point right at it, he might enter the water when you’re not even 30 yards away.
Alligators are lazy
They want to eat, reproduce and maintain the proper body temperature. Unlike people, alligators are cold-blooded, meaning they are not able to regulate their own body temperature. If an alligator can’t internally regulate their body temp then how do they do it? It’s simple when a sandbar is warmer than the water, gators will exit and bask in the sun. If the water temps are warmer than the air temp, they will simply float in the water. This is often the case overnight and early mornings when the air temp is still a bit chilly. So, if you find an alligator sunning itself out of the water, it is out of necessity, and I promise you he or she would prefer to be in the water if not for the temperature.
You know that phrase fish out of water? Well, you could easily say alligator out of water too, except an alligator can still breathe just fine. So, if you see an alligator on a sandbar, try not to point directly at it and pass them with the broadside of your kayak facing them. Sometimes there is so little room in a creek or waterway that we will inevitably push the gator into the water. Not a big deal if it happens. Just keep kayaking and stay alert.
What happens if you are kayaking and you see an alligator in the water?
Most often, nothing. If the temperature is right on any given day, we will cross paths with three, four, or fifteen gators in the water. You will see about a foot or two of their head, or the telltale eyes and nose only. If we see this, we simple kayak on by. Again, try not to point directly at them, and as you start to get closer and closer, you will typically begin to see a subtle and controlled sink, then he disappears. Most often, that gator is only inches below the surface. Out of habit, I try not to kayak directly over the gator’s last location. If you encounter an alligator while kayaking and they are perfectly still, they aren’t making any weird movements or noises, and they seem comfortable this is what I tell my customers.
“this is super important, listen up. If you see an alligator, I need you to do this exactly as I say. Slowly unzip your life jacket pocket, pull out your camera, and take a picture.”
That is it! Please, understand though, I’m not suggesting you paddle at an alligator, nor am I suggesting you take an alligator selfy from 5 feet away.
- The point here is that in general alligators truly are more afraid of you than you are of them. This is why they will often quickly enter the water when you approach them.
Is it safe to kayak during alligator mating season?
You may have noticed I said if you kayak with alligators and they aren’t moving or making noise, you are safe. This is where we start to get into the scenarios when kayaking with alligators could be dangerous. Let me rephrase that, these are the scenarios when you should take extra precautions when kayaking with alligators and when you should pay closer attention to their body language and your surroundings. All of our guides are comfortable in gator territory. If we weren’t, we would be kayaking in Maine. With that said, we all have a healthy respect for them. After all, they are capable of seriously injuring you or even killing you.
Alligators love hot weather
I mentioned earlier that alligators are lazy and often look like statues; however, there are times during the year when gators start to move. The trigger for us is as reliable as my Toyota tundra.
- On the very first 90-degree day in the winter or spring, alligators will immediately change from frozen statues to remote-controlled boats zooming around the pond.
On this 90-degree day, you have entered alligator mating season. It might not be full-on mating season just yet, but at this time, gators are on the move, they are sizing up their neighbors, and they are looking for the prime waters throughout the glades. Two weeks before the 90-degree day, you might have seen 4 or 5 gators sharing a small beach or sandbar, but now things have changed. Gators are now more solitary and territorial. They don’t want to share the beach with anyone, and the largest alligators will start to defend their small pond or sunny patch of beach. This is now when you need to start paying close attention to the alligator’s body language. Sometimes while launching or gearing up for your paddle, you will notice one, two, or three gators on the move.
Alligator body language
Witnessing multiple alligators swimming through a pond should signal to you, it’s time to pay attention. Often during this season, you will hear that deep bellow, or you will see and hear super loud splashes around a corner. That very easily could be an alligator fight. Encountering two gators in fight mode is an exciting experience to witness but also potentially dangerous. Think two sheep ramming each other. If you jump right in the middle of that sheep battle, those sheep might very well start charging you. They obviously don’t want to eat you. They just want to fight you. The same thing can happen in gator territory. If you witness two gators fighting, one could very easily see you as the next competitor after winning his first fight.
- Remember, he isn’t’ trying to eat you; he is trying to fight you, almost as dangerous. If this happens, you should paddle away from the agitated gator.
What does an agitated gator look or act like?
- Puffing up and down – you will notice the belly getting larger and the back will raise up out of the water
- Clapping or snapping of the jaws
- Alligator swimming towards you
- Sinking and reappearing while getting closer or not moving away from you
- Bellowing – the bellow is one of the coolest things I’ve witnessed in nature, and you will hear and hopefully see it during matting season
You will often see them puff up and down while floating on the water, or you will see their mouths snapping. You could even have one swim directly at you.
- If the gator swims directly at you, you should line the kayak to point directly at him, then back paddle. Earlier I mentioned not to point your kayak at the gator, but if you are trying to scare him off or make him back down you do want to point at him.
This will keep your eyes on the gator and put the kayak in the position they don’t like. When you witness these types of behaviors, you need to stay cautious and aware. Even if they swim at you, they are hopefully false charging. I have experienced some charges in years past, but the gator will usually swim towards you, suddenly change direction, and dive, making a huge splash. Yes, it is intimidating, but if you know how to react, you can stay safe.
Will Alligators attack a kayak?
Quick answer yes, the better answer is most likely no. With all of the above information, we now better understand why an alligator might attack a kayaker. Now that we know alligators don’t see us as food but might associate us with being fed, we understand we might want to be more cautious when kayaking with alligators at public boat ramps or docks.
We also understand that alligators, like people, can be moody. If I notice a dude pacing back and forth erratically on the corner of the street, I’m probably going to cross the street. Maybe go a different direction. If I see someone roaring and pounding his chest, like he just finished a cage fight, I’m probably not going to and ask him for directions.
- Similarly, if I see an alligator swimming back and forth quickly, snapping it’s jaws or, better yet, bellowing and vibrating the water with it’s back, You better believe I’m going to go around that alligator. He has communicated through his body language not to mess with him.
Nesting Female alligators
This is another potentially dangerous alligator scenario. Female alligators are great mothers, and they will defend their nest and young. If you see a weird elevated mound in the middle of a pond, you could and probably should consider that to be an alligator nest if a gator is nearby. I would stay away from it. At least until you know for sure it is not someone’s home. A mother alligator might quickly chase you out of that area. On the other side of that, I have encountered mother gators in heavily used kayak trails like the Turner River in Big Cypress. For the most part, that mother is very used to seeing kayakers and seems to ignore them altogether. With that said, I still pay close attention when approaching that area.
Kayak Fishing with Alligators
I know this has been a long article, but I wanted to make sure I covered everything I have learned about kayaking with alligators. After all, this is a pretty serious subject. My first regular encounters with alligators started the summer after my junior year in college. At this time, I had already changed my career goals from being a specialized veterinarian to becoming a wildlife biologist. To graduate with a Fisheries and Wildlife degree from NCSU, we had to spend half of a summer enrolled in a 6-week “summer camp.” This was more like summer school than camp. Anyway, this meant I could not spend my final summer in college as a kayak guide in Maine, like the previous two.
So, what was the second-best thing I could do? Get an internship that provided employee housing on a Carolina Bay in eastern North Carolina. There I lived with my black lab and got off of work every day at 3 pm. Where am I going with this? Basically, every day at 3’oclock, I would hop in the canoe and fish for bass and bream. For those of you not from the south, a bream is a “sunfish”. This was on private water, so there were tons of massive bream. So big I could barely hold them with one hand.
How to Land Fish in Alligator waters
Hooking and landing these big fish, I started to encounter a problem. The alligators would begin to show up as soon as I began catching fish. Reeling the fish in too fast would make too much noise. I had to change my tactics on landing them. Basically, the gators were attracted to the commotion on the top of the water. If they saw the opportunity, they would swim out and steal my fish. I realized I had to start reeling in the fish slower. I had to keep my rod tip pointed closer to the water but still allow for play so I wouldn’t break them off. Bringing the fish in slower didn’t make as much commotion on the top of the water, and often, the gators didn’t know I was landing fish. The key here is to keep the fish as quiet as possible when reeling them in.
However, the gators still knew I was there, and I did need to keep an eye out for them. I had to change up how I released or revived any fish. Rarely would I pose for pictures with my hands halfway in the water, and I definitely wasn’t reviving them with my hands in the water. I was releasing them as quickly as possible, making sure no alligators were hiding out below the surface of the water, ready to snatch my catch or my hand.
Join us on a Guided Kayak Tour
Lastly, we provide guided kayak tours through the 10,000 Islands National Wildlife Refuge and the Fakahatchee State Preserve just south of Naples and Marco Island. We encounter numerous alligators on a daily basis. Our guides have witnessed agitated alligators, and on occasion, we have surprised them. Our kayaks are designed for this specific area, are unbelievably stable, and have higher gunnels than a typical sea kayak. All participants are required to wear properly fitting life jackets. We provide them with alligator safety information before entering the water. If you combine proper preparation with the right gear and knowledge, it can be safe to kayak with alligators.
If you have something to add to this article, have questions or want to join us and kayak with alligators, please don’t hesitate to reach out. Feel free to check us out on Instagram or Facebook, where we are regularly posting photos and videos of our kayak experiences in South Florida and Colorado.
Great article, thank you. Very grateful for the thorough advice.
You just gave me all the information I was searching for. I just moved from Maine to Venice. First time out I do believe I had an encounter in Curry Creek. Never saw it but something changed the direction of my kayak about 30°. I been out a few times, definitely not Sullivan, Maine…. Thanks for the information perhaps some day we shall paddle .
Ralph
10/22/2021
No problem! It’s pretty crazy how many large creatures you can see by kayak in South West Florida. Mainly due to how shallow everything is. At any time we could see a 500-pound manatee, 100-pound tarpon, or ten-foot alligator all in two feet of water!
Thanks for all the info! 10,000 islands sounds like a great destination.
My husband and I just bought a 10ft. rubber
Kayak and my question is, does that make us more subseible to a gator attack?
I wouldn’t say more susceptible, but it does make you more vulnerable to all things sharp. For our Naples location in particular I wouldn’t use an inflatable due to the number of barnacles, and oysters in the area. Aligator teeth would be another sharp object capable of blowing your inflatable.
I recently moved to Florida from the Northeast where I was an avid kayaker and I’m just itching to get on the water but terrified of alligators! you really put my mind at ease thank you!
~Lainie
You’re welcome. Stay safe out there, paddle with a partner and have fun!
You clearly explained alligator behavior, what kayakers should expect and how to react to potential threatening situations. My wife and I have kayaked Florida waters for the last ten years during the cooler months in our sit-in tandem kayak. We’ve passed alligators sunning and floating on multiple occasions, but thankfully never had a threatening incident. It’s helpful and reassuring to know how to respond should one occur. Thank you.
Great to hear and thanks for reading!
Thanks for reading and happy paddleing!
Awesome article! Thorough, informative, user friendly grammer & even a lil entertaining at times! I currently kayak Northeast Creek in Jacksonville NC. I was wondering, where about in NC were you located at the time?
I had the pleasure of hearing the bellow a few years back. First encounter with a wild gator & it’s still very memorable! I had actually thought the noise was an old, maybe even exhaustless vehicle rattling on the highway 🤣. Then I saw “Godzilla!” Immediately & calmly retreated, gave respectable distance and have been nearly obsessed with these incredible creatures ever since!!
When I was in NC I was located outside of Lumberton. There were some big ones there and sounds like you had an amazing experience!
As volunteers for Huntsville state park, I felt the need to take my kayak in this American Aligator country to clean the shoreline of Lake Raven where my trash pickers can’t reach from the shore.
Your article has provided me this morning much useful information to guide me before my maiden voyage this coming Monday in May where temperatures are now in the 90’s.
Thanks again for having a helpful spirit 🙏
Thank you for volunteering for cleanup! I hope it was fun and safe.
Great informative article. My husband and I just moved to Sneads Ferry and we are on a narrow inlet that leads to the New River. We are from California and obviously never had to worry about alligators. Still trying to build my confidence to hop on my kayak.
Thanks for all information. Very helpful.
You’re welcome, and welcome to NC. I lived on a Carolina Bay outside of Lumberton when interning in College and also lived in Wilmington for a summer. It sure is a great place for kayaking. As far as building confidence goes, I recommend booking a guided kayak tour there and look for a guide that’s been doing it for a while. Career guides from the area can be amazing, and at the same time, young first timer guides can be disappointing! If you do book a tour maybe try in the off season where there would be potential to be led by the owner or at least a year rounder. Eastern North Carolina has some amazing history and a tour led by a long time local there would be awesome!
Great article! The when-to and when-not-to point your kayak at an alligator was particularly informative to me. So much more detailed than the usual articles out there. If I can ever get down your way, I’ll definitely look you guys up! Two quick questions. I paddle a surfski on the TennTom Waterway in Miss. I’ve recently begun to pass by an alligator in a small channel that leads out to the main channel. Lots of boats going in and out to and from the boat launch. The alligator hangs out in the water by some tall water grasses. I’ve passed it three times now. The first time, I passed by very close, not realizing it was an alligator until too late. It didn’t move, so I figured it wasn’t afraid of me and I should be wary. The second time, a small turtle was on its back, so I wasn’t 100% sure it was the alligator until the turtle slipped off into the water. Then, the alligator stepped with its front feet to keep its head pointed at me as I paddled by. I maintained a steady paddle pace, but I also maintained eye contact through my sunglasses. I saw it again on the way back in. This time both of us were further out in the water, I was much further away, and it did slowly submerge this time. Would the alligator consider my head turned toward it and my eye contact an aggressive action? To be honest, I don’t think I would be able to look away, but I could maybe fake it. And, how far away from it do you think I should paddle? I love to see our wildlife, esp. the elusive gators, but I don’t want to unknowingly annoy the animal. Thanks!
Definitely difficult to answer those questions. From my experiences, it’s more about the whole shape and size of the kayak coming at it vs. eye contact or the direction your face is pointing. I’ve never noticed gators reacting to me looking directly at them. It’s usually more about your whole body movement along with your paddle. Depending on how often a gator encounters boaters or kayakers has a lot to do with how comfortable they are with humans. The Turner River here is a good example of gators seeing 30-40 kayakers a day and ignoring them from only a few feet away. I wouldn’t expect the alligator you’re referencing to be as comfortable. Also, you need to think about whether that gator is close to a boat launch because fisherman are cleaning their catch. If that’s the case you need to pay more attention. All in all it’s best to keep as much distance as you can from them when you can help it. I would say if you paddled by them and they finally did go into the water you got to close. It’s always difficult to give answers to guests asking about specific scenarios or animals. Just play it safe and enjoy your kayaking!
My husband and I saw our first alligator in our brackish canal in Wilton Manors, FL today. We kayak very often right from our backyard and after the tropical storm the water was up the the top of our sea wall. This guy (or gal?) must have been at least 6-7feet tip to tail! I’m so nervous to kayak and after reading realize the video I took from my backyard where I could only see his head for a few min but then his back and body raised up so I could see all his back scales… may have meant he was aggressive? Yikes! Thank you for writing this so I know what to be aware of… still may not kayak for a bit. Our canal is a brackish dead end, surprised to see him today, but I suppose the storm may have brought him? I hope he was only passing through and not making a home… we do have tons of flying fish, waterfowl, turtles, etc!
Yeah, it could have meant he was establishing his territory. They will also raise their bodies out of the water when the air temp is warmer than the water.
Thanks for all the info Kyle. I kayak in the cape fear river in wilmington, nc. I have had a couple of sightings of alligators. Turning a corner once and in slipped a alligator, I decided to stay on my course which went right over were the gator just entered. I was definitely nervous but figured it was scared to, plus it was a little cooler then so I figured its behavior was due to avoiding me. I wonder if you have any information for if the worst case does happen. The sides of my kayak aren’t very high and it makes me nervous that one may come barreling out of the water and attack my kayak. Is there anything known that I can do to protect myself, like punch a shark in the nose or poke its eye. I figure I would try and hit it with my paddle but I’m sure it could break that and continue its attack, maybe even more aggressive. So if I do ever find myself in that senerio, do you have any suggestions? Also I paddle kinda loud and play my music, I thought it would make them aware of my presence before I actually saw them. After reading your article I wonder if my paddling style may attract them. Please let me know what you think. Also again a huge thank you for taking the time to spread your wealth of information, greatly appreciated!!
Hi Heather, Sorry I’ve been slacking on responding. I wouldn’t recommend playing music, it lessens your ability to be aware of your surroundings. The best noise you can make is banging your paddle shaft on your kayak. Just lightly dropping it maybe 3 inches is enough to resonate a long distance.
Back to music, there are a few things that would concern me. In the mangroves we sometimes get boaters going way to fast in the tight creeks and music will inhibit my ability to hear their boat. Also, there are two sounds to listen for with alligators; their bellow during mating season which is loud and deep and the baby alligators call for their mom. Google both sounds and if you hear either one while paddling you need to pay extra close attention. If you hear baby alligators calling that means their mom can be nearby and that can be very dangerous. Momma Gators are very protective and can be aggressive. If you hear male alligators bellowing that means it’s the mating season and males will defend the best habitat and won’t allow other gators and sometimes kayakers in their territory.
I feel like I’m rambling a bit so let me list the best precautions you can make to keep yourself safe in alligator habitat
1. Wear a life jacket! If an alligator does grab you this might be enough to keep you afloat. A quality jacket with pockets gives you quick access to your phone, a whistle (a sound-making device is required by law in most states), and other essentials like sunscreen, chapstick, and a knife
2. Kayak with a friend
3. Always pay attention to your surroundings. Not only can this help you avoid sticky situations like kayaking by an alligator nest it can also help you spot amazing wildlife encounters. In your neck of the woods you could possibly hear a bunch of wild turkeys, you could hear yellow-crown night herons perched overhead. You could even hear wild pigs or a bear
4. Buy a quality primary paddle and always bring a spare. If you buy a nice carbon fiber kayak paddle, your comfort level and performance will increase. It’s always a good idea to keep a break-apart spare paddle. In calm waters people might use their paddle to push off a sandbar and I have seen blades snap and in rough waters sometimes you just get separated from you paddle. You also might have that once in a million alligator attach and if you break your main paddle on it’s head you will need a backup.
Lastly, it is always great to push your limits and get a little out of your comfort zone. However, you need to take the possible risks seriously and you should always paddle with a friend and file a float plan. Keep exploring and don’t hesitate to send me another message if you have more questions!
[edit] I don’t think your kayaking style would attract an alligator unless you were splashing like a fish or bird in distress. The only time I’ve ever attracted alligators while kayaking was when I was fishing. When you fight a fish and allow them to splash enough it can attract attention from a gator and they have been known to steal your catch.
Great article full of lots of good information. Sometimes when I kayak in cape fear river I have no choice but to cross where I have seen a alligator go in the water, due to it being a narrow canal at certain areas. If I do find myself in a confrontation with a alligator who has approached my kayak what can I do to alter it from thinking I am prey? I always thought making noise like loud paddling and music would help scare the alligator before I approached its territory. Should I try punching it in the nose or hitting it with my paddle? Would a spray help? Any ideas on what to do if I am caught in that unfortunate situation? I really don’t want to hurt it just deter it from attacking me.
Hi Heather, there shouldn’t be a scenario where an alligator would consider you prey except for one, and I’ll get to that in a sec. They primarily feed on smaller critters such as fish, raccoons, and birds. Now, the larger older alligators will start to eat larger prey such as smaller white-tail deer, but a gator that is eating deer is probably over 11 to 12 feet. Gators at this size are usually weary of people, which is why they have grown to such size, especially in North Carolina.
Back to why an alligator would see you as prey. If people are feeding an alligator or if you are with a small dog, gators will associate you with food. Most alligator attacks in the Carolinas involve someone walking a small dog close to the water. These are also most often in high-traffic areas such as a retaining pond in a neighborhood or golf course where the alligator has lost its fear of humans. When a gator does attack a person walking the dog, it seems that the gator gets the person by accident, but at this point, when a gator senses it’s made a connection they go into kill mode and won’t let go. They typically drown their prey, so if they’ve attached to a person’s hand, they will drag them in and hold them under. This is why I NEVER SUGGEST TAKING A DOG WITH YOU IN ALLIGATOR TERRITORY! Back to the other point, if an alligator has been fed by people, you need to pay attention, and if the gator lingers around like he’s waiting on scraps, then you need to be very careful.
As far as hurting an alligator that would be very difficult. These things have evolved for a million years to fight, and they attach their prey with an amazing amount of intensity! I would definitely recommend hitting a gator on the head with your paddle if they are coming at you and close enough, but if they are able to bite your paddle, they will not let go and could pull you in. I don’t think spray would work and I wouldn’t want to be that close to test it out.
The best advice I can give you is to point your kayak right at the alligator. This usually works for us and turns them away. Also, like you mentioned making noise does help, I like to bang my paddle shaft on the top of my kayak. That seems to let anything around me know that I’m there, and most often alligators will swim the other direction or sink to the bottom to let you pass.
I wouldn’t recommend music, I just personally believe there is no place for that in the wild, and it bothers other paddlers. It also messes with your ability to be aware of your surroundings. You might miss loud splashes or even an alligator bellowing. Dropping your paddle shaft on the top of your kayak is the absolute best way to make noise, that sound will carry under water a long distance.
Are there many people who kayak in inflatable kayaks? If you are knowledgeable and avoid breeding season, can it be safe?
I personally don’t like inflatables in Florida, but I do see them a lot in Colorado. There are all kinds of things that could puncture an inflatable in Florida; oysters, and barnicles being the most common . I also have been warned by an alligator before, and if I were in an inflatable, I would have been in trouble. I see tons of inflatables on our lakes in Colorado, but I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in our backwaters of Florida. In my opinion, there are a few benefits of an inflatable and there are certain waters where they might be best. Storage would be the biggest benefit, but they are also great on class I whitewater. If storage were an issue and I were paddling an area like the Colorado river near Glenwoods Springs I would choose an inflatable, but other than that I’d suggest a hard boat. You really can’t beat the durability of a quality plastic rotomolded kayak made by Old Town or Wilderness Systems. They might be a bit heavier, but they are next to indestructible even from an Aligator Tooth! I hope this helps!
Thank you so much for the info! I’ve lived in South Carolina for 30 years and only started kayaking last week. I loved it so much the first time that I bought my own the same week.
My biggest fear has been paddling in areas with gators. Sure enough the park I chose to kayak with a friend this past Saturday had a gator warning sign posted next to the launch. My friend wasn’t concerned and has paddled around gators before so I went with it. There were lots of narrows, sharp turns, tall grass, cypress trees, tiny “islands” and thick clusters of water plants going through.
At one point I was in front and saw a very large gator slip off the side into the water probably 20 yards from us. I immediately stopped because the waterway couldn’t have been more than 15-20 feet wide in that spot. We waited a few seconds and paddled through but I was definitely scared he/she could be right under us.
Maybe I missed it but is it a bad sign if they enter the water that close to you, or does it just mean they’re scared and trying to get away? Had the gator not entered the water I probably wouldn’t have noticed until we were just a few feet away from the bank he/she was sitting on, which is scary considering we kept getting caught up in trees and plants in the water.
Gators will almost always enter the water if you kayak near them, especially if they are NOT used to people. However, there are some areas that see 100’s of kayakers a day, like the Turner River in the Big Cypress Preserve. In areas like this, the gators are more comfortable with people. This means they are more apt to stay on the shore when you kayak by. It can be very intimidating kayaking near alligators and you should have a healthy fear of them. They are wild animals and can be unpredictable. Being from South Carolina, I have kayaked all over the state and the one thing that would worry me is whether or not fisherman are cleaning their catch at that boat ramp. Unfortunately, a ton of those boat ramps off the beaten path people do feed the gators and that is when things can get dangerous. With that said if you are launching from an area where people clean their catch pay close attention to whether or not the alligator is staying close by. If it seems like they are waiting for a scrap you need to be extra careful. Where are you kayaking in South Carolina?
In June I was solo kayaking through Lil Big Econ Forest from the Canoe Launch on County Rd 419 all the way to snow hill rd. I saw 10+ gators but I also had 2 or 3 moments where everything was quiet but then the water erupted with splashing right in front of the kayak in a quick loud burst that scared me badly each time. Were these false charges from a gator like you mention in the article?
That is hard to say, but that does sound like what sometimes happens when paddling here in the very shallow waters. We can see how the gators react underwater when we encounter them in our super clear ponds with sandy bottoms. Most often, we will enter the pond and spot one floating at the top, and as we get closer, they simply sink to the bottom and hope we pass by. The problem is these ponds might only be 6″ deep! Anyway, it sounds like the gators might be sinking to the bottom, and when you approach, you are right on top of them. At that point, they are just freaking out and trying to get away. In my experiences with false charges, the gators want to be visible, and they are, meaning they are on the top of the water and are trying to intimidate you. This also reminds me of the East River in Fakahatchee state park. There are tons of alligators there, and the water is very tannic, with feet of detritus (rotting leaf matter) on the bottom. That dark bottom and tannic water make it very difficult to see the gators once they sink. It is not uncommon to paddle right over one without ever knowing it, on the other side of that on occasion, you can rub over one’s back with your kayak or hit them with you paddle. At that point you are very aware of them and the water definitely erupts as you mentioned in your comment. Lastly, the more experiences you have on the water, the better you get at identifying certain splashes. In our waters it’s crazy the different types of splashes we can get. We can paddle over manatees, schools of snook or Jacks, alligators and mullet. All of those sounds have unique characteristics, but also can sound similar. Mullet jumping sound like belly flops and snook strikes sound like hollow claps. Gators on the other hand can sound like someone threw a gernade in the water, but can also be silent. I hope this helps! Have fun, be safe and keep paddling! Feel free to reach out if you have anymore questions!
Thank you Kyle! I am planning to winter in Florida for the the first time. I contemplated getting an inflatable because I have no roof racks on my car and no way to transport a hard kayak. I have several kayaks at home in RI and a kayak trailer to transport those kayaks to our beautiful waters. That information about other water hazards was VERY helpful. I will not be buying an inflatable for FL. I will take a tour with Adventure Paddle Tours!
I am happy I was able to help you out! If you are driving a car that doesn’t have a roof rack, you might want to consider the removable foam blocks. You can put them on top, then run your cam straps through the windows of your car. Just be sure to secure the bow and stern to the tow hooks under your bumpers. Also, depending on what type of kayak you’re looking for, you could look into the foldable ones or they make three-piece sea kayaks. One of my ACA instructors lives in DC, and he had a three-piece NDK Romany. You gain weight with the three-piece construction, but with that kayak, you don’t lose much in performance. The last thing to consider is a cheaper and lightweight 10-footer that is easy to transport and wouldn’t require much in terms of the carrying system. We use the Preception 9.5 Sound It’s a great boat for the backwaters of SW Florida. I wouldn’t cross large bays in it, but it’s perfect for the smaller ponds and tunnels. We actually stand up in them to spot the manatees. If I can figure out how to post a photo of us using it in this comment I will
We are staying in Siesta Key right on the canal with access to use the kayaks. I have never kayaked before and am frightened to death of alligators. My husband wants me to go out with him but I can’t get the courage especially since I have never kayaked. Your thoughts? Thanks for your help!!
I would hire a guide and do a tour in your area. If you are as afraid as you say you are it will probably be a rough experience for you and your husband. I would say there is nothing to worry about, but personnel fears can be tricky. Hope this helps!