Miami to Naples on Route 41

Myakka is a great park, it was my 'local' park when I was in high school in Arcadia and we spent a lot of time there. It's the only park that I'm aware of that has that canopy walkway, which is a walkway up in the trees.

The gator population has certainly increased since my HS days, but the beggar pig problem seems to be fixed.

agesilaus wrote:
Bottom line: Just be informed and careful around gators.
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Absolutely correct. Like most long time Floridians I have my own natural fear of gators but on the other hand I'm not paranoid around them. My rule is that: if you go swimming in fresh water in Florida then you are swimming with gators. You just won't see them most of the time. I don't go in the water near dawn or near dusk when visibility is poor. Or after dark. And that applies to salt water because of sharks.

There is another park with seemly fearless gators, Myakka River SP. That lake is full of gators and in this case they are being fed with the apparent approval of the park rangers. They have a non-native fish problem and there are a lot of fishermen near a dam on the lake. They catch the worthless non native fish and kill them, at the end of day they throw them back into the water and the gators are there waiting.

I am not picking on you although It may seem like it. You do offer solid advice regarding swimming. I used to mention to visitors at Myakka: "If it is bigger than a mud puddle, there is a gator in it."

We campground hosted at Myakka for more than 5 seasons. Believe me, the rangers do NOT approve of feeding the alligators. I'm sure they can't afford to place a ranger on the weir full time, to monitor the fisherman.

Also you can't stop stupidity. Despite LARGE signs prohibiting dogs near the river, in certain areas, people go there with their dogs. On average, two dogs a year are eaten by gators in that area.

Myakka has more alligators per square mile than the Everglades does!
No gator hunting has ever been allowed there and it is one of Florida's oldest parks. Great park.

Bottom line: Just be informed and careful around gators.
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Absolutely correct. Like most long time Floridians I have my own natural fear of gators but on the other hand I'm not paranoid around them. My rule is that: if you go swimming in fresh water in Florida then you are swimming with gators. You just won't see them most of the time. I don't go in the water near dawn or near dusk when visibility is poor. Or after dark. And that applies to salt water because of sharks.

There is another park with seemly fearless gators, Myakka River SP. That lake is full of gators and in this case they are being fed with the apparent approval of the park rangers. They have a non-native fish problem and there are a lot of fishermen near a dam on the lake. They catch the worthless non native fish and kill them, at the end of day they throw them back into the water and the gators are there waiting.

agesilaus wrote:
If you took the tram ride or rode a bike around the paved loop at Shark Valley then you'll know what I mean by gators that seem to have no fear of humans. We saw maybe a couple hundred when we did it and they don't display any fear and they haven't been fed. These were in the water and out laying on the banks and allowed people to get within feet of them without jumping back in the water like they usually do. So my proof is just observational.

I don't deny your observations. The tram in Shark Valley is NOT typical of the Everglades alligator population. And yes, I have been on the tram more than once over the years. If you have ever spent any time in the 'Glades in a private air boat or watercraft, away from the tram, you would agree.

Fed? Well, some tour guides in the area have been caught and fined for just that! (Not in the park)

I am not a biologist, but my guess is that the local population of Alligators around the tram have also lost their natural shyness of humans, probably due to the many encounters with humans the tram provides rather than feeding.

Bottom line: Just be informed and careful around gators.

If you took the tram ride or rode a bike around the paved loop at Shark Valley then you'll know what I mean by gators that seem to have no fear of humans. We saw maybe a couple hundred when we did it and they don't display any fear and they haven't been fed. These were in the water and out laying on the banks and allowed people to get within feet of them without jumping back in the water like they usually do. So my proof is just observational.

You are right about the number of attacks, it looks like there have been 11 fatal attacks in the last 14 years. Most of them occurred in FL. The last one was in 2007 right there in the Glades. That's the only one listed in that area tho, which doesn't do much for my theory.

agesilaus wrote:
I don't think I've heard of anyone being attacked by a gator who wasn't in the water with the gator. Human attacks are very rare, I haven't heard of one for years. But there is no question that the gators inside the national park are more aggressive than gators to the north. Years of people killing the aggressive ones seems to have had an affect on them.

Good advice but some misconceptions: Alligators can and do attack humans out of water. Two attacks occurred in Cape Coral, Fl.

Human Attacks in 2013, in Florida: 12

Gators more aggressive in National Parks? Please provide a link. Alligators are normally shy, except when fed by humans or during mating season. Most alligators in protected areas do not have contact with humans, and are not fed.

It has been my experience that the more aggressive alligators are the ones that have lost their fear of humans, usually because they are fed by humans in urban areas.

I certainly do not wish to scare anyone, but please have a healthy respect for the animal. They are NOT the cuddly, friendly animals shown in cartoons. They are reptiles with the brain the size of a walnut.

If they go for my coach, I will make belts, shoes and hand bags out of them :-)

I don't think I've heard of anyone being attacked by a gator who wasn't in the water with the gator. They will jump out and get a dog on a bank near to the water, since dog is high on their preferred food list. So do not walk your dog on a water edge in south Florida. Human attacks are very rare, I haven't heard of one for years. But there is no question that the gators inside the national park are more aggressive than gators to the north. Years of people killing the aggressive ones seems to have had an affect on them.

Wizard 1946 wrote:
Usually lots of alligators in the ditches

Maybe a good time to rely on roadside service for any tire problems perhaps.

Thanks for all the replies, 41 will be my route to Naples. And will do a few stops along the way!