Mr. Alligator’s Morning
Yesterday morning started off quietly enough for our pal Mr. Alligator. He was all settled in on a nice relaxing spot for a pleasant nap and didn’t even mind sharing the space with a cormorant. After the cormorant left though was when the morning started to unravel for our gator friend. Some other alligator had the nerve to purposely do an in your face swim by Mr. Gator’s nap area. This caused our boy to wake up and turn around which was a lot more effort then he had planned for his morning I’m sure. He also felt the need to dramatically show his displeasure at the unauthorized appearance by the intruder. Under normal circumstances, this would have required an active response, which would have included a chase and a stern warning. But as I said…all that would have been a huge effort for Mr. Gator who really just wanted a nice morning nap. So after concluding his display of irritation, he decided it would really just be easier to go back to sleep and try to salvage the rest of the morning.
Phil Lanoue Photography 
I can’t believe myself that I say, “Mr.Alligator, you are so lovely!”
Thank you dear Phil, have a nice weekend, love, nia
It’s nice to know you really enjoy seeing the lives of our alligator friends Nia! Thanks very much!
He’s a big boy
And astonishingly, he’s real too. Two different people stopped and asked me that yesterday morning. I suggested to one woman that she wade out there and squeeze his nose to find out.
The path of least resistance for Mr. Gator!
They are very good at conserving energy. (read that as doing nothing) 😀
Great! *gg
That’s a fantastic serie and a very funny explanation! 😛
Thanks so much I’m very happy you liked this!
He looks very relaxed. What a life. Great shots as usual.
They excel at being relaxed Edith! Some life indeed especially being at the top of the food chain!
Great series Phil, fantastic photo’s of this alligator.
Thanks Jan, glad to hear you like the alligator photos!
Oh my goodness! I do believe I can see his tonsils! Is he yawning or yelling? You do get the most fantastic shots, Phil. Thanks so much for sharing them. 🙂
Nice view down the old throat right Sylvia?! 😀 He wasn’t yelling, he got that out of the way earlier. He was probably just showing off for the tourists. 🙂
That is one big gator! Love the wide open mouth shots.
He is a good size boy and was the largest one out that morning so he was head gator in charge of the pond.
Love his vocal display. He looks about as active as a large lump of cement, textured to look like Mr. Alligator – and with a nap smile, of course! Boy, what a big guy!
I had a few people ask me if it was a ‘real alligator’. I told them it was rubber and that if they wanted to find out for sure they should go out and squeeze his nose. 😛
These guys love to lay around and do a lot of nothing. Nice life.
Hehehe, I like the stories you put with your photos. Poor, Mr. Alligator!
Hey thanks very much Katie I really appreciate you checking these out and I’m very happy you like them!
Have a good nap, big gator 🙂 Awesome shots!
He likely will enjoy a very nice nap, I could come by three hours later and find him in the same spot. Nice life. 🙂
Well, that’s the best way to have a nice day in the sun…. except… lying in the sun and taking pictures. 😉
He would think that taking pictures involves too much effort, sleeping all day is better. 🙂
That next to last shot makes him look even more reptilian than usual… what a very large mouth he has. I sure wouldn’t be poking him on the nose.
I would tend to leave his nose alone as well Gunta, no point in disturbing the big boy’s restful morning. 🙂
He is really large. What was the biggest one you ever saw or photographed? The little gator was lucky he was lazy.
He was good size but there is one back in the swamp I have only caught occasional glimpses of…he has a huge old head like a T Rex and has to be close to 12 feet long. I have only some scattered photos of that big guy he doesn’t show himself very often.
A very mighty yawn by Mr. Gator. At least he settled back to his morning nap with a smile. 🙂
Fantastic series.
At least somebody around there knows what they are doing…the gator knows it wants to sleep away the morning and he has the right idea. Nice life. 😀
Glad you enjoyed these pics!
What a grump! Don’t disturb and ol’ gator at nap time. 🙂
Yes they can get a bit grumpy if their nap in the sun gets disturbed. I make it a rule to never disturb them, I keep things quiet, better for everyone that way. 🙂
So true. Never know when a gator might develop a taste for D series Canons and whatever might be attached.
Exactly! Speaking of eating cameras, check this one out of a young alligator from last month.
That’s my camera and tripod.
Oh man — too close for comfort. Unless of course, that’s the gator’s equipment.
It was my equipment unless he really wanted it then I suppose it was his gear. 🙂
Gators can be rather possessive.
That is just one wicked mouth.
He has a lot of room in that mouth for all sorts of tasty snacks, One caught a raccoon the other night and was swimming around in the salt marsh of all places with it.
Good grief! That is some warning! He really didn’t need to be vocal about it, did he? I’m not surprised the other alligator pushed off, Phil!
I think at first the other gator was planning to join our boy on his spot in the sun but then decided that was not going to work well at all. Doing a slow but deliberate swim by was the best plan in this case.
I’ve got a really big mouth..so leave me alone! I’d imagine he made some crazy sound too right?
He made kind of a groaning sound but mostly he was just showing off and putting on a big display using as little effort as possible. 🙂
What a life, without a worry, Mr. Alligator!
He does have a nice life doesn’t he?! 🙂
Oh, Phil! I don’t know which I like more, the characters in your photos, or the stories you tell about them. Fabulous.
I’m very happy you enjoy this Sid, thanks much!
You can almost see right down inside his belly.
he wants angela inside.