He was about two feet away but I was on a walkway with a lip that is supposed to deter gators. But, honestly, I am sure a gator that size could get over it and the walkway was only about a foot above the water. At first the gator was very lazy and quiet in the 90-degree heat but as the sun lowered behind clouds, he became more active, swimming back and forth, slowly but still his increased activity was unnerving. That’s when I decided to leave!

With a major highway going across the Prairie there have been many incidents of accidents or simply drivers losing control and careening into the water of the Prairie. People have been rescued from the hoods of their cars where they waited in the dark for help as gators slid by.

Photographing gators at the Prairie is much scarier than the places I see them in Mount Dora. What amazes me are the people who hike and bike ride on the Prairie! No, thank you!!