“It’s Florida, and wherever there is water, there are gators. But they tend to stay away from this part of the lake, they tend to stay where it is quieter, not so busy.”
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yes, and I read an expert who said they stay away from people, are afraid of them. Then you have this exception where this one not only comes near people but grabs one! So, best to always be cautious. If *I were in charge of Disney, I’d elevate that beach area and put glass railings around it so people can observe the lagoon but not have access or so that the gators don’t have access to the people.
Sounds like a perfect platform from which to feed the gators.
It is a hard design problem, but Disney can afford to hire the best and do it right. They should start by kicking anyone off the property with no refund if they are caught feeding gators. And issue a press release every time that happens. That will cut down on the feedings.
first visit to Florida was in March to visit Rollins, Eckerd and Disney. Looking forward to many more trips. Thanks for the advice about lakes. I’ll not be wading in any lakes. And will not sit on the shore of a lake watching the sun set. Ocean beaches are safe?That is probably a ridiculous question, but I don’t know anything, just want to be sure.>>>
I do think this was reasonably foreseeable and am only surprised that an incident did not happen sooner. We witnessed a family feeding a gator at Fort Wilderness several years ago. Later that day, we saw another family playing near the edge of the water maybe 30 yards from where we saw the gator. We warned them about the gator and they basically asked where it was, said something to the effect of “Oh, cool,” and continued on. At that time I knew there would eventually be an accident, and that was at least 10 years ago. I truly think people vacationing at Disney have/had a false sense of security when it came to the gators. Like the gators are specially trained Disney gators there are part of the attraction for the entertainment of guests.
Landsharks, bah. The South Beach Lounge Lizard might be the most dangerous of the reptilianus floridius species. Even Rollins co-eds might get in harm’s way on long weekends.
@mstee Rollins is such a beautiful campus. Both coasts in FL are just like any other beaches, you have to be aware and cautious. I hope you and your family can enjoy many wonderful times in the near future. The gulf coast is my favorite from St Pete down.
Here in Louisiana, there are sometimes gators spotted at the beach of the Gulf of Mexico, so you should still be alert in salt water, especially near swampy areas. I went to college at UMiami, and gators are indeed plentiful in that state. They do run fast, too. Nesting females are often aggressive, so it is always wise to give them a wide berth. So sad what happened to the little boy. Precious child.
