Gators Galore | Gator Too CloseGators Galore | a 7 Image Story   The American Alligator resides in the southern United States particularly in the Everglades near Everglades NP.   Clearly, the Everglade’s environment is an alligator’s playground.  It remains the iconic animal of the Everglades and is the top of the local food chain.

Everglades NP obviously has plenty of American Alligators.  Looking down from the observation tower, they sometimes form geometric patterns.  Please note;  American Alligators are black; some folks apparently think some are green.  Gators must keep their internal body temperature at 82º F so it’s a water and sun life.

To meet an American Alligator eye to eye means getting up close and personal with a long lens, but not too close.  Several images were captured by laying on the ground with several gators in the area.  Although they generally move rather slowly, these guys can really move fast.  Always keep a safe distance and have someone watching your back.  And, never get between a mom and her kids.

These images were captured from the bottom of an air boat and/or on the ground by a  Nikon 1 V1 with a 70-300mm lens.  The  V1 2.7 crop factor makes 70-300mm yield 189-810mm.  I didn’t get “too close” for any of the images.

Each image will be posted individually this week with a bit more narrative under category Gators Galore.

Click any image below for a slide show!