Latest trip through the glades

[Connie Mier]

Just posted a story and photos from our 10-day loop trip. For got to add one piece to the story and that was the disturbing sight of two dead white pelicans in Charley Creek. Rangers we spoke with believe it to be red tide. Other than that, it was a perfect trip.
Connie
http://cmierphotoandfitness.net/NYE2012.html

[Kim Gass]

Nice TR to whet our appetites as we stow the snowshoes and gather the camping gear. Hoping to do ten days looping south of EC to Camp Lonesome inland and back along the Gulf..

I was surprised to hear of your alligator attack  (or charge) and that on the Turner River.  I was charged on Gopher Creek three years ago in January.. Same thing..gator got POed and ran into the water and charged, diving less than six feet from the boat.

Are they becoming more habituated or testy even in non mating season?

[Jay]

Connie,  Really enjoyed your trip report.  How did Vivian do fishing?

[Connie Mier]

I can't image this gator was habituated given the location. I suspect it was as alarmed as I was, maybe a bit territorial to boot. That sounds like your encounter as well. This is a hunch and maybe yakmaster or someone else might know, but I wonder if the alligator population has risen and they have naturally become more territorial as a result of that.

[Connie Mier]

Jay, she has her fishing blog posted. Check it out, she had a great fishing trip with a very lucky turn of events on the first day. http://beachcamper.blogspot.com/

[Jay]

Thanks Connie - miraculous recovery..... :)

[vivian]

I am the luckiest person on earth! Lucky to have good friends that travel our routes. It's always been interesting to me on multi day trips where we move from site to site. One meets many interesting people along the way. We also had the privilege of meeting Rob Stevens a fellow member of this forum. He approached Darwin's when we were trying to warm up. He and his partner are from the great white north and were quite comfortable in our "freezing" temps. They were heading to sweetwater while we stayed at Darwin's instead. I got to tell Rob, I loved reading his trip stories, in person!

[Flex Kayakfari.com]

Very nice - 10 days of fantasticness!! :)

[Gary M]

Connie,

Thanks for the great report. Y'all sure know how to have a good time!

I've had the pleasure of that gator experience a few times. A while ago it dawned on me that I've never seen a gator panic and head anywhere but directly at the water. Although it sure feels like it, I do not think they are charging - I think they have only one escape plan in their DNA. At remote locations you can count on it.

[Connie Mier]

Hey Gary, I think your experience and wisdom explained it well enough. I agree, I think the gator was simply trying to disappear, and it had only one place to do it, in the water under my boat!

[Swamp Hunter]

I have heard that a large gator needed to be removed from Turner River.

[Rob Stevens]

Allison and I saw a dead white pelican and a dead cormorant when we came up Charley Creek in late December. My fear is that as one canoes up the creek "chasing" one of these birds that needs a long runway the bird finally panics and tries to take off into the mangrove branches. When we started up Charley there were a bunch of pelicans fishing the mouth and we ended up following one swimming up into the mangrove tunnel. We went slowly but it was obvious we were making the pelican very nervous.

[Rob Stevens]

I think we saw Connie's alligator near the head of Charley Creek and it was a BIG one. It was cold and so it just stayed unmoving on the bank in the sun. Three more by Gopher Key including one at the back landing spot. This was our third trip, once in April and twice at Christmas and by far the most alligators.