|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
| Of course, it had to happen - I'm not about to spend a month in Florida without spending some time with some alligators. Not long after arriving we discovered brochures for Gatorland "The Alligator Capital of the World" and our plans were made. |
 |
| I've been to a few zoos and a couple gator farms here and there. Gatorland is a definite contender for the top of the list. Like most it is very tourist oriented, the shows are a bit short and there is always an extra pitch at the end for something more if you are willing to part with a couple dollars - but they are pretty good deals and opportunities you won't find at alot of other places. For instance, after the wrestling show you can pay $10 to get in the ring yourself and have a picture taken of you sitting on one of the alligators - with its jaws already secured by duct tape. There is also a booth where you can get a picture of you holding a small gator or python for a bit less. The shows are worth catching. We saw the alligator jumparoo, alligator wrestling, and close encounters shows. The jumparoo was good but not as exciting as made out to be - then again, its not like they can really control how well the animals decide to react. The wrestling show was standard fare, well done and worth seeing even if you are familiar with it. The close encounters show was the best, in my opinion, since they really did bring the animals close and even into the audience. |
| Alligator Jumparoo |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Alligator Wrestling |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Close Encounters |
 |
 |
| Alot of people would judge a place by what they offered in terms of the shows and extras but for me the real measure is the general walk through and the quality of the animals available for observation. I think Gatorland really shines in this respect. They have a very large area populated with a large number of alligators, many of quite impressive size, which can be explored on an elevated walkway with excellent views where many other places obscure viewing with nets and fencing. The zoo also features a breeding march which is home to over 130 alligators and many nests. In addition to the alligators, Gatorland also has a number of crodiles on display and the natural environment meant that we were able to spot a number of small lizards and a couple snakes living wild in the park. For those so inclined there are also turtles, iguanas, and a large number of birds (the breeding march is also one of the largest protected wild aviaries in the country for a couple species of birds) but we didnt spend much time one them. |
| Big Gators |
 |
|
 |
 |
| Medium Gators |
 |
 |
| Little Gators |
 |
 |
| Saltwater Croc |
 |
|
|