Alligators growl at Alex Sundstrom regularly.
The competitive kayaker glides near alligators in the waters of Jupiter five times each week. He once surfed in the wake of a large alligator. He witnessed a fight between an alligator and a manatee. And in the spring during alligator mating season, they roar in his direction.
He sees alligators in the water so often that he is comfortable around them now.
“I’ve never had an incident where a gator didn’t want to steer clear of me, other than the occasional roaring in mating season,” said Sundstrom, 45, who lives in Jupiter and is married to Jupiter Town Council member Malise Sundstrom. “That’s not an aggressive response. That’s just a vocal response.”
Sundstrom says kayaking around alligators is “one hundred times” safer than driving on Interstate 95. He was shocked to hear about the woman who was killed by an alligator on Lake Kissimmee as she rode in a canoe on May 6.
“It sounds like it was just a very unfortunate collision,” Sundstrom said. “I think 99 times out of 100, alligators want nothing to do with you.”
The likelihood of an alligator seriously injuring a Florida resident during an unprovoked incident in Florida is roughly only 1-in-3.1 million, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. But is it safe to kayak, canoe or swim in freshwater in Florida?
Here are five ways to stay safe in a state where alligators can be almost anywhere.
Assume gators are in any body of fresh or brackish water.
Alligators have lived in Florida’s marshes, swamps, rivers and lakes for centuries and are found in all 67 of the state’s counties, according to an FWC spokesperson.
In northern Palm Beach County, alligators often are spotted in the Loxahatchee River, but it is safe to assume that there are alligators in any body of fresh or brackish water in Florida.
“If you operate under that assumption, you’re going to keep yourself safer,” said Amy Kight, Busch Wildlife Sanctuary’s executive director. “Be aware of your surroundings and never assume that an area is alligator-free because there are a lot of people around.”
Don’t feed alligators.
Alligators are quiet and lazy creatures who find people overwhelming, Kight said. For the most part, they don’t want anything to do with humans.
Problems arise when they lose their fear of humans. This can happen when people feed them, which is illegal and dangerous.
“When fed, alligators can lose their natural wariness and instead learn to associate people with the availability of food,” wrote Lauren Claerbout, a spokesperson for FWC, in a prepared statement. “This can lead to an alligator becoming a nuisance and needing to be removed from the wild.”
Move in the opposite direction if you see an gator.
Sundstrom changes his path or makes noise with his paddles if an alligator heads in his direction.
“That will cause (the alligator) to go away,” Sundstrom said. “You’re not prey. You are a potential threat, and it’ll want to move away from that in almost all circumstances.”
He wants people to remember that they enter alligator habitats when they kayak, swim or canoe in Florida, and asks that people be mindful of them.
Watch your step.
Sometimes, alligators will lay down on the bottom of a water source, so be vigilant not to step on them when getting in or out of the water.
Stepping on them could startle them and trigger a defensive — and violent — response.
To hunt, an alligator sinks down, closes its eyes and opens its mouth while laying perfectly still, Kight said. They wait for a fish or turtle to bump into their mouth and then they snap down.
“If you step without looking, they don’t know you’re a human,” Kight said. “They think you’re a fish, a turtle, a snake or even a duck. Oftentimes, their eyes aren’t even open when they’re trying to catch something. … That causes problems for everybody involved.”
Swim only in designated areas during daylight hours.
If a swimmer sees an alligator, they should keep a safe distance and swim away from it or stay away from the water altogether.
Only swim in designated swimming areas in the daylight and without your pet. Alligators are most active between dusk and dawn, according to the FWC.
Avoid swimming in areas with dense vegetation because alligators can hide in the vegetation in and around the water.
If someone is concerned about an alligator, they can call the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
Want more Jupiter news?
Maya Washburn covers northern Palm Beach County for The Palm Beach Post, part of the USA TODAY Florida-Network. Reach her at mwashburn@pbpost.com. Support local journalism: Subscribe today.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Alligator safety: How to avoid danger around Florida’s signature reptile in lakes, rivers
Reporting by Maya Washburn, Palm Beach Post / Palm Beach Post
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
