In She Swims with Alligators the poetry & prose contains my experiences & perspectives, along with some commonly available facts, all for your enjoyment. During my life I have been attracted to bodies of water: beaches, rivers and especially lakes & springs.
I do not recommend taking the risks that I have. I do recommend spending time in nature appreciating the fauna & flora with confidence ~ & caution where needed.
I also recommend taking care of our water ~ conserving use & reducing pollution and recognizing its essential nature.
For many years I was a competitive water skier, & now I swim daily in warm weather (a long season in Florida) & go on kayaking & springs hopping adventures.
(Guess who’s in the water here!)
Although I have spent more time observing alligators in the wild than most people, I am neither an ecologist nor a zoologist. My musings & descriptions are predominantly true, with occasional poetic license for technique or effect.
Exciting interactions with wildlife do not happen on a regular basis – these experiences have been collected over thirty years, & some memories occurred even longer ago.
Alligators as apex predators are vital to the wetlands ecology because they contribute to maintaining ecosystem balance in their habitat. By alligators’ presence, some animal populations are kept in check by being eaten and others are helped to thrive by the holes that alligators dig in dry weather. The gators may eat fallen birds, but they also eat raccoons which prey on bird nests.
Alligators may need to be managed when posing a threat to humans. Numerous articles report attacks and even deaths because people have used poor judgment, or alligators have simply acted on instinct. Photos: Danny Gilliam
Near Florida waters always be aware of your surroundings ~ the ALLIGATORS ARE WATCHING
They are opportunists ~ ambush predators at their best.
We can help take care of their home ~ our waterways & wetlands ~ keeping them clean & natural & flowing.
