Alligator Fishing…part 1
We were extremely surprised to find an alligator had walked himself from the marsh pond to the salt marsh to do a little, uh, actually, a lot of fishing. The surprising part was that it’s unusual to see an alligator both in the salt marsh, and also feeding so enthusiastically. We were surprised as well, to see fish (presumably mullet) as large as a foot long with some even larger, in a relatively small shallow area of the salt mash. I don’t know if, or how, the alligator would know those fish were in there but he sure seemed thrilled about it! Just a short note for those wondering, the alligators do not generally live in salt water but will be happy to cruise over there for a visit if it means tasty fish or their favorite blue crab await. In addition, there was so much going on, expect to see a part 2 and likely 3 of the event coming soon.
Phil Lanoue Photography 
WOW OH WOEW This is pretty amaing capture! You certainly visited at the right time. Your images are just fabulous!
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Hi, thanks for checking these out Marta and glad you enjoyed seeing these photos!
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Your mention of mullet caught my attention. Are their numbers maintaining there in your part of the world? One of the noticeable declines fishermen are reporting here is mullet. There used to be great rafts of them, even in the marinas, and they just aren’t around.
We sometimes see alligators in salt water when there’s a significant flood. The rivers will wash an occasional critter down to the Gulf, which is quite a surprise to everyone, and usually reported on television or shown on social media.
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I haven’t noticed any significant decline in mullet. I can go to most anywhere around the inlet, which is all tide dependent, and see a mullet jump out of the water. The blue herons still seem to be plucking them up some, but it’s too early in the season to determine if it will be happening less often.
During the summer, we will get the occasional alligator swimming in the ocean and even a walk on the beach. In our specific area where we go to see these alligators fishing, even when they leave the salt water, the marsh ponds they return to are brackish not totally fresh water and had been like that for a long time. Maybe the alligators in these areas have gradually evolved to be more tolerant of salt water. I don’t know. Somebody should do a study. 🙂
One big problem we do have in the land just inland from the beach are the king tides which have become higher and flow in further. These tides kill even large live oaks and can end up creating ghost forests.
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