15 October 2014.
Savannah National Wildlife Refuge in Georgia and South Carolina.
Before heading to the refuge, we dropped by the visitor center to get a map and determine what wildlife we might encounter. The affable lady who helped us was a mine of information, indeed. She enumerated the different species of birds we could spot and made a note on the "Outdoor and Nature Attractions in Coastal GA/SC Area" she handed to us. She also mentioned that some visitors had reported sighting of at least seven alligators. We saw nine ... ha!
Alligator 1: I was busy photographing Purple Gallinules when Pete told me that something was watching us closely. Our very first alligator was lurking near the bank.
A couple of Park Rangers stopped and checked why I was snapping away. We exclaimed "our first crocodile!" They retorted, "We have alligators in South Carolina and Georgia. Florida has crocodiles." :D They reckoned that this monster was about 10 feet and it could grow up to 14 feet. And I thought it was already HUGE!
Alligator 2
Alligator 3
Alligators 4 and 5: Mama gator and baby gator. I'd seen the image a million times on Animal Planet and National Geographic but I felt all warm and fuzzy inside when I stumbled upon this image. I couldn't help "aaaaaawing" while photographing. Apologies for being a drama queen.
Alligator 6: We found this little one in the same pond where mama and baby gators were sunbathing. We assumed he was one of hers.
Alligator 7
Alligator 8
Alligator 9
