Quote:
Originally Posted by HHI944
I have a decent amount of paddling experience, but none in the last few years. I live right on the northern 'horn' of the island, so one direction is ocean and the other is sound and river/marsh systems. I would probably be in the river/marsh and sound areas the most.
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Hopefully, you already know a lot of the following, but just in case...
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WHAT TO DO IF YOUR KAYAK ENCOUNTERS ALLIGATORS: Special thanks to South Carolina's Cape Fear Paddlers for some valuable insights Photo of Okefenokee alligator - special thanks to Henry Dorfman of Cincypaddlers.org
A South Carolina Kayak Club, The Cape Fear Paddlers, suggest that when you happen on a gator, it will almost certainly run right into the water. Although it appears to be charging, it is just trying to get into the water where it feels safest. See above predator descriptions. Pay attention to the following in planning a paddle adventure in alligator territory:
1. Contact your local Fish & Game Dept for trends in predator activities such as mating and nesting season for alligators, seasonal behavior patterns and times of day of increased predator activity or recent attacks. This is usually dusk & dawn, as darkness gives any predator an advantage; but don't just rely on that.
2. It is always smart to keep your wits about you, so stay sober, and in the warm months do not cut around creek bends too closely, as these are the strategic spots where alligators like to lay hidden and keep an eye out for prey. Shallow waterways in the south are favorite places for alligators to nestle down. Avoid the chance you may unsettle them. Although alligators are shy, they don't like being surprised, and paddling in ditches about 5-10 feet wide when alligators can leap 5 feet from water's edge is asking for trouble, especially in the warmer months in the evening when they are on the prowl, and during nesting season which is roughly the entire summer. Check with locals about water levels in your intended paddling area.
3. If you want to explore shallow narrow areas where alligators frequent, do it when temperatures fall below 70 degrees, when alligators basically become inactive. Put as much as 100 feet distance between them and your kayak. Do not sit on overhanging branches, camp near the water (150 feet is recommended) and take care going to the shore for water while camping.
4. Although a gator that slips off a bank on your approach is somewhere underneath you, and may even follow you a little, stay calm and know that it will not "thump" you from underneath or lunge out of the water at you. Keep paddling, be wary, and if you are a little spooked a group of South Carolina kayakers familiar with alligators advise you bang your paddle on your kayak a few times to intimidate it. Some believe this may sound like wounded prey thrashing about in the mud peaking its interest. Because their hearing is sensitive I would remove all doubt and use my PFD whistle.
5. Signs an alligator is near: A wallow where they like to roll and cool down in the mud; a slide where they slip into the water; a nest. If you ever come across small alligators with, depending on the species, yellow stripes, you have found JUVENILES, which means the mother is somewhere nearby. Baby alligators stay with mom for up to a year. If you remember anything, don't ever stop to observe them or try to touch or catch one. The protectiveness of mother alligators can not be overstated. Certainly do not hunt, harass, or feed them.
More:
TopKayaker.Net: A Guide For Kayakers Against Shark, Crocodile or Alligator Attacks