By David Marsh (6/15/15)
In recent weeks, Melvin Saunders and I have made two trips to Florida for a power plant environmental noise study. Measurement locations included adjacent wetland areas where we were warned about encountering wildlife including alligators, snakes, raccoons and even wild pigs! I was obsessed with the idea of seeing and photographing alligators. Photo 1 below illustrates my obsession with these animals. I was much younger and foolishly daring when I jumped the fence on an Everglades tour to try and “pet” this alligator.
Getting to measurement position 1 outside the power plant was a little scary because we had to walk some distance on a dirt road that was bounded on both sides by swamps hidden by thick bush. We saw many places where alligators had recently crossed the road leaving toughs in the mud on either side. There was a little adrenaline flowing as Melvin and I each watched our side of the road. Unfortunately, we saw no alligators during the first trip. We saw plenty of raccoons, though, even within the plant area.
Measurement position 6 was along a narrow water channel separating homes from a golf course. We saw our first alligator during our second trip as we approached this location. It was lying by the edge of the golf course and scrambled into the water before I could snap a photo. This incident reminded me of the movie, Happy Gilmore, in which the character, Chubbs Peterson, describes how his pro golf career ended when his right hand was bitten off by an alligator.
Chubbs: Damned alligator BIT my hand off! [Shows Happy his wooden hand]
Happy Gilmore: OH MY GOD!
Chubbs: Yeah. Tournament down in Florida. I hooked my ball in the rough down by the lake. Damned alligator just POPPED up, cut me down on my prime.
I snapped some shots of the position 6 gator in the water (see photo 2), but then had to return to Dallas for a prior commitment while Melvin stayed for additional days of measurements that we were asked to provide. Frankly, I was disappointed with the lack of gator sightings. Then it happened…
Melvin got the thrill I was hoping for the day after I left! He sent me a text message with photo 3 taken at position 1. The message said, “Here’s your gator.” In fact, this was his second such encounter that day! The other one was at position 6. I received a text the following morning from Melvin saying, “I’m headed to position 1. Call me if you don’t hear from me within one hour. I’m not joking.”
Melvin saw and photographed something else amazing… a water moccasin catching a fish (photos 4 and 5). This was back at location 6.
As I write this, Melvin is still in Florida collecting sound data and probably fighting off wild pigs. It’s not fair that he’s having all the fun. Well… I have a wooden hand waiting for him when he returns this evening.
1) Gator Chase
2) Gator in Water
3) Gator at Position 1
4) Snake with Fish
5) Snake with Fish (zoom)
David Marsh,
Melvin Saunders
Tim Lindstrom,
Dave Stearns
Tom Defrange,
Glenn Johnston
what ever pictures or text you want will go here.
Jerrold Stevens,
Bennett Brooks
Bryan Simpson
Cleve Doyen,