Florida and Alligators (Jacksonville, Fort Lauderdale, Tamarac: real estate, travel, house)

[LoveBoating]

We are in the "thinking" stages of moving to Florida, perhaps the Jacksonville area. Due to a hip replacement and shoulder surgery, we had to leave Parker, CO and the winter weather there. The shoulder surgery actually happened due to a fall in ice/snow there in 2006. We moved from Colorado to North Carolina (just north of Charlotte), but now have found out that even a winter in NC may be too much for me to handle with my shoulder and hip.

My wife is worried (very) about the alligators in any part of Florida. We love fishing and boating. I've read in the Forum that the fear of alligators is wayyyy overrated. Should she (or I) be concerned about a this to much???
We are 59/60 years old and we just don't like winter/snow anymore. In fact, during the winter months in Colorado, we done very little for activities/fun. We have just spent our first winter in NC and have found out the same thing there. We are definitely a summer/boating couple now.

[Tarastomsgirl]

nah, thats'a like being afraid of moose in the NE...You know they're there but is that gonna stop ya from moving up? Just be safe about it, don't feed one if you see one, don't walk closely to lakes nor your pets and don't swim in anything other than a beach or a pool (unless signs say its safe) I lived on a canal for years growing up as a child and we only had one incident with an alligator coming up tot he house and that was after a hurricane. If you dont' live on water you have nothing to fear they're not walkinga round wild downtown or anything .. I rarely saw them actually

[tallrick]

Stay out of fresh water, and away from the edge of lakes, canals, etc and you will never, ever have a problem.

[rusty78]

Tarastomsgirl....I have to disagree with part of your comment...last year while visiting in Tamarac... just 30 feet off of Commerical Blvd... everyone was amazed to see a 12' alligator walking down the main drag of the seniors development... towards the golf course.... I guess he just wanted to play a round or so.... and then there was the 10' salt water crock, in Fort Lauderdale, that made his way up the storm drain system... luckly, only to find he could not exit as freely as he thought... animal control removed him and commented that the salt water crocks are much more aggressive that the fresh water variety... or perhaps the jogger who was running along side a lake and was attacked... and then of course the real estate agents that I have dealt with on both the east and west coasts of Florida... who will tell you...anywhere you have water... you could find an Alligator.... but none of this will stop me from moving down... and enjoying the fishing and weather... but the alligators are around just a little more than what people think.....

[THX 1138]

The odds are better you would be stuck by lighting then attacked by an alligator. Of course don't try to close the odds by swimming in ponds, lakes or canals.

[Tarastomsgirl]

Originally Posted by rusty78

Tarastomsgirl....I have to disagree with part of your comment...last year while visiting in Tamarac... just 30 feet off of Commerical Blvd... everyone was amazed to see a 12' alligator walking down the main drag of the seniors development... towards the golf course.... I guess he just wanted to play a round or so.... and then there was the 10' salt water crock, in Fort Lauderdale, that made his way up the storm drain system... luckly, only to find he could not exit as freely as he thought... animal control removed him and commented that the salt water crocks are much more aggressive that the fresh water variety... or perhaps the jogger who was running along side a lake and was attacked... and then of course the real estate agents that I have dealt with on both the east and west coasts of Florida... who will tell you...anywhere you have water... you could find an Alligator.... but none of this will stop me from moving down... and enjoying the fishing and weather... but the alligators are around just a little more than what people think.....

Okay a couple times a gator gets out, but come on in the 24 years I lived in Fla I saw an alligator ONCE on a main road and it was dead , hit by a car. They're not gonna running rampid in the streest where people are constantly at unless fed they can wander into populated areas, and animal control is usually all over that. They stick to the waters and the only time they usually come out is to sun bathe then go back in. I've never ever seen a salt water croc but know they can be in the backbays of the beaches. Once again, NEVER seen any of them.. Like the other poster said you're more likey to get hit by lightening than an alligator.. Unless you go activly looking for one you might even be hard pressed to find one

[daniellefort]

I live across the street from a lake and i've been out there jet skiing, boating and tubing. yeah, i've seen them before and yes they are on my mind when i'm out there but when there's a lot of commotion and other boaters on the lake, they will go off in the grassy areas. I've never seen one on the roads in my neighborhood before.

[FlaLadyB]

You are looking in the Jacksonville area where it gets a LOT colder than it does further south were we might see the occassional gator. They do like to sun themselves out on the edge of a pond or waterway. I have seen them sunning themselves on a golfcourse. IF they are in a public area they can be removed once they reach a certain size. They sometimes travel through the underground connected waterways we have and end up --whereever. Don't feed them- as everyone is warned but does not always listen. They can also be in drainage canals as a wayward dog found out the hard way recently. I am certainly not afraid to go boating or anything else on our waterways, but I am aware of the areas where they might prefer to be. Large open waterways where you boat are not one of them. Certainly not a reason to not move down.

[2bohemians]

We live in Santa Rosa Beach,West of Jacksonville in the Northwest Florida Panhandle. We have water all around us .... rare coastal dune lakes, a very large bay, and of course the Gulf. We have only seen 1 gator in one of the coastal dune lakes while living here .... and we just happened to spot his head while driving by ... pulled over to get a look .... nothing exciting happened ... we looked at him and that was it .... we really don't think that it's a big issue ... we wouldn't suggest wading around in the lake or letting small animals or children play at the edge of a murky lake ... but as far as fishing, can't imagine that it's anything to be afraid of .... pretty sure the chances are slim to none ....

[southgeorgian]

Originally Posted by tallrick

Stay out of fresh water, and away from the edge of lakes, canals, etc and you will never, ever have a problem.

in other words, dont go to fla. and if you do stay in your car or dont ever go out side. there's water every where, and a gator in almost every water hole. How do i know? i lived there all my life. and the one moving back to naples, you are on the edge of the everglades and what do the everglades have? along I75 at the toll booth where the canel is on the left side of the road i have seen at least a 12 footer in that area. and why else would alligator ally (I75 from naples to miami-ft. lauderdale area) be named what it is? want to see alot of them, go south on hiway 951 between immokalee road to us41. this just a little.