dreamflight99
<font color=deeppink>Princess of THIS Castle!<br><
- Joined
- Sep 7, 2001
- Messages
- 3,388
There are GATORS in every body of water in the state of FLORIDA! And...YES, there are some rather "large" adult gators residing in the Sassagoula river canals which runs off the main route between POR/DTD. In fact, there are DISNEY-FRIENDLY signs posted at the entrance to some of these canals, which feed off this river. They are painted with the image of a LARGE friendly-looking smiling gator, standing upon his hind legs, with a bold RED CIRCLE around him and one RED LINE through him. I asked a castmember driving the express about these signs one day, and she told us there are LOTS of VERY large adult gators living JUST OFF the river in these waterways.She has seen them on the banks of the canals, and also basking/floating on the surface of the water.
DH enjoys fishing in rivers (catch and release), and frequently sat at the edge of the Sassagoula across from Old Man Island late in wee hours (whenever we visited this resort). On one occasion, he was sitting in a chair about 5 feet from the water's edge, when he "felt" something odd. The water rippled ever so slightly, and everything became DEAD SILENT. He calmly but rapidly moved away from the water's edge, and the river. He has always used great caution and awareness while engaging in this activity. He too, has encountered gators in various locations on Disney property.
As he was climbing the bank, he noticed a POR service associate sitting in a cart which had stopped on the bridge above where he had been fishing. He told my husband a huge gator had been "watching" him from just beneath the water's surface, about three feet from the shore. This man could see him from above, and noticed him the same time my husband was moving away. He told DH the gator was most likely preparing to "lunge" and grab him if the opportunity arose (if DH went close to the edge, or turned around, washed his hands in the water, etc.). This man said he could barely make-out the top of the massive head, as it was about midnight, and the water is black/brackish with tannin, etc. He was in a state of momentary shock, as he was almost in disbelief as to what he was seeing. He told DH he even wiped his eyes, and stared again...to insure he was truly seeing a gator. DH informed him although the eyes of this reptile never broke the surface of the water, he could "sense" his presence directly in front of him. 10,000+ years of evolution rarely error/prove to be wrong.
This man informed DH the gators "frequently" loiter and troll through the river, mostly at night (as they do not like the boats). They are opportunists, and look for an "easy meal" whenever they can find it.
My husband told this man he had noticed everything go "silent" in that moment when he knew something was wrong. It's as if all the creatures scatter/hide and pipe-down when this creature comes along. Even the crickets stopped chirping. We have had even CLOSER encounters with Gators on Disney property & surrounding areas in Florida, and I've posted some photos of these incidents in the past. Be very cautious when ever you are near ANY water in Florida, as Gators are transitory and extremely crafty when it comes to accessing areas which appeal to them. They have phenomenal eyesight under the water, and an even better olfactory skills. Opportunistic as they may be, they are also tremendously adept predators. I am always on the lookout for them, wherever we travel on/around water. Never, ever permit your children to play unsupervised near an open body of water while visiting Florida (even on WDW property). And, please...use caution with respect to your own safety.
His BELT/KNIFE were still oddly around his waste! It was the craziest/wierdest thing I'd ever witnessed, and probably tops most everything to date! 
