Entering Gator Country

Shark Valley Everglades National Park, Miami, Miami-Dade County


canal
No, not the UF kind. Reptiles. Apex predators. Large ones. We've seen more alligators in and along this canal than any other place we've been in South Florida. The canal, which runs along the west side of the Loop Trail from the Shark Valley entrance to the observation tower seven miles to the south, provides watery habitat for the reptiles even in the driest of dry seasons. We believe the Humble Oil Co. dug this canal back when it was exploring the area for oil. Though incidents between humans and gators here are all but nonexistent, caution and common sense always should be exercised anytime you see one or anytime you approach the water.

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Published by Wild South Florida, PO Box 7241, Delray Beach, FL 33482.
Photographs by David Sedore. Photographs are property of the publishers and may not be used without permission.