Gator World Park – Wildwood, Florida

“Feed the alligators and you get bigger alligators.”

Helen Gurley Brown

Our trip to Florida is over and it is time to get back on the road and head home from Largo. That trip went way to fast as all good times do. On the way home, we had to do our usual stop at a local fruit stand to buy Florida oranges and grapefruits to enjoy when we get home plus I always ending up picking up a small lemon or palm tree. In Georgia, the citrus trees do fairly well year round outside except on the coldest nights when there is a threat of frost. On those rare nights, I will bring the plants inside or just cover them up.

After we got our munchies and souvenirs, we got back in the van and that is when we saw the sign for Gator World. We asked the kids if they wanted to see some alligators and they all said “YES” so off we went to explore Gator World. Isn’t that a must see if you are in Florida to see a gator?

We pulled down the long dirt road to the entrance of Gator World Park in Wildwood, Florida and stopped at the gate to pay. Jeannine and her children all got in free since her husband is active duty Navy. What a generous thing for them to offer for our active duty service members. Joe and I got in at a 20% discounted rate since Joe is retired from the Army. Normally adults would pay $22.00, children ages 3 – 12 would pay $12.00 each, and children under 3 are free. But you can find some good discounts on line or on Groupon so my advice is to look on the internet before you go, to save yourself some money.

The founder of Gator World is Don Buckner who is a native Floridian, entrepreneur, and visionary. He got the idea when he realized people coming to Florida want to see a live gator, so he came up with the vision of (See a gator - Hold a gator - Feed a gator) concept. He gets some of his alligators from trappers who were going to euthanize them for making products from them. He also rescues alligators who need medical attention or need to be taken from an area where they may not be welcome. So his fifteen acre park has become a sanctuary and rescue facility for alligators. He came up with the idea of a drive through park where you can leisurely drive around the park and see the alligators behind fences from your vehicle. Great idea.

When we drove, in you could see some very significant alligators in the fenced in area. Yikes. One was over eleven feet long named “Big Al.” He looked prehistoric and I felt comforted knowing he and the other gators couldn’t get close to us. I would hate to meet him on a dark night.

We pulled up to the office, where you can get out and learn about alligators and have the opportunity to feed and hold one if you want. Our host talked to us and let the children pet an alligator that had its mouth taped so as not to bite anyone. The gators skin felt very hard and leathery. We were told that the bumps on their back of their armored muscular body is made of embedded bony plates. She asked the kids if they wanted to hold the alligator and they said they wanted to. The kids were scared at first but then proud that they did hold it and were like, “Look at me and see how brave I am.” Of course, we got a picture to prove they held it to live on in infamy.

Here are some interesting gator facts we learned that day. Gators can live to be as old as 50 to 70 years but their average lifespan is usually between 30 to 35 years. They have amazing eyesight, as good as owls, and have a third eyelid that is transparent. They use it when they submerge under water to protect their eyes in the same way we use a mask when looking underwater. And they can climb. That is hard to imagine something that size climbing but they are like a large lizards, I guess. That must be something to see.

They can run about 11 mph for a short time and can swim up to 20 mph. An alligator has between 74 and 80 teeth in their mouth at one time and when an alligators teeth are worn down, they are replaced. To bad us humans don’t get that same benefit. Gators can go through 3,000 teeth in their lifetime. That’s a lot of teeth. I wonder why you don’t hear about people collecting gator teeth. Male gators can weigh up to 500 pounds or more as adults and female adults usually weigh about half as much, about 200 pounds or less.

After our host talked to us about the alligators, she asked the children if they would like to feed the gators. A big “YES” was shouted out. She tied a piece of meat on a stick with a long string hanging from it and we walked up onto the wooden platform where we looked down in the water pit and saw hundreds of smaller gators with their mouths snapping open and shut and wrestling each other. The children hesitated putting the meat over them at first, but got excited as they reached up to grab the food with their large mouths. The children squealed with delight. They each had their time feeding them. It was incredible watching all those gators in the pit doing what gators do. Just keep me out of there.

After the feeding frenzy, we walked through the petting zoo which was much calmer. There were bunnies, fancy chickens and roosters, and many varies of goats to pet. There was even some baby cows to see and pet. So adorable. The children loved it. They really enjoyed the miniature goats prancing around and laughed as they followed them around. It was a fun stop.

We recommend Gator World especially with children. They talked about it all the way home. Check them out at: www.gatorworldparks.com. They are open 10 – 4 Monday through Saturday and are closed on Sundays.

Now to get back on the road. Goodbye gators and goodbye Florida for now. We will miss you.

Advice from a Gator

Take a bite out of lifetime

Keep a low profile

Bask in the sun

Have a healthy appetite

Keep an eye on opportunities

Be thick-skinned

Don’t be afraid to open your mouth!

Ilan Shamir

“See you later, alligator. After a while, crocodile.”

Bill Haley