gators in the middle of fl lakes? (land, snakes)

[Metallisteve]

As mentioned, I would be more scared of bacteria than I would a 6' gator. I know of more bacteria deaths and sicknesses from surface water than I do of gator attacks...in Central Florida. The bacteria is very prominent during periods of hot, dry, droughts and immediately following the first rain after a dry spell of any length. All the contaminants (animal feces/urine, natural bacteria, road pollutants, fertilizers, etc) get flushed into the water and are highly concentrated if it's been a while since the last rain. And of course, it should go without saying, stagnant water just looks nasty for a reason...stay out of it too.

[Citizen101]

Originally Posted by CFLmom

I would be concerned about swimming in any lake in FL.

I have to strongly agree. People don't think twice about swimming, letting their kids and pets swim in lakes and canals in Florida and that's a deadly practice. Also, don't take/walk kids or pets near water's edge in canals and lakes.

Alligators are ambush hunters and they have taken many dogs whose owners let them swim in lakes or walk near the shore. Also, very dangerous if swimming. Just don't do it. Gators are very dangerous and numerous in Florida water. They are not endangered anymore.

If the gators don't get you, then there is the wate borne parasite that can. A couple kids have died in the couple of years after this parasite entered their brain through their ear canal.

Go to the beach, swim in the ocean. Just watch out for the sharks.

[Citizen101]

Juniper Springs is really pretty and no gators in the main pool fed by spring water. It is super cold though!

[Arcenal813]

Originally Posted by gypsychic

Gotta echo everyone else's comments here - STAY OUT OF THE LAKES unless you are in a boat! Too much bacteria and yes, GATORS ARE EVERYWHERE even in the smallest ponds, canals, etc. I saw one lying in a tiny wet hole on the banks of our big in-town lake here in Lakeland (Lake Hollingsworth) And you most definitely need to keep your doggie away!

Haha!! I was having lunch at the back of our office near a small man-made pond a while back and had to snap a picture

I sent it to my brother in Canada, who at the time, did not believe me when I said that virtually every body of water here has gators.

[tinytrump]

[tinytrump]

[JWEvergreen]

Ahhh... the gators never bothered us when we lived there. My first job when we first moved there was to drive a tour-boat through a canal at Cypress Gardens. During my first summer, the canal was drying up to the point that we drivers had to under-load our boats and finally be willing to climb out of the boat and push it off of sandbars in order to keep our jobs. Saw plenty of gators. None of them posed a threat to me.

Then I became a part of the ski team at the same park as an announcer. The gators were everywhere! I'm talkin' 13-footers!!! Both on the lake and on the stage. (Never a problem we couldn't deal with).

Then my husband and I bought a house on a small lake. Yes. We had gators. In our yard. We never left our child unattended but that had little to do with the gators! She and her friends were allowed to swim and fish with supervision.

[Ghengis]

gators always seem to be having a good time judging by their toothsome smiles

[matty_ice]

Yes definitely people should be worried gators do not typically attack people but do not take any chances .

[tinytrump]

never let your guard down people come from the north and laugh at the gators across the pond until their dog goes missing- during mating season they seem to come out of the wood work and go all over --and as we have built on their land they will walk our streets . Come knowing here are bears, cougars, gators snakes and all kinds of flying bugs and spiders. Then there is the ocean....