​The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive in the SNWR is a great way to see alligators and wildlife up close, especially for those who love outdoors but may not be able to trudge through swamps and marshes. The four-mile drive follows the checkerboard levees of an old rice plantation. In the warming spring months and early summer mornings, there are alligators on every bank around every turn; even multiple “big ones” sunning together in one spot.  SNWR was a favorite spot to "reptile hunt" in my college days. Upon returning with my daughter in March 2012, SNWR proved still to be a prime habitat for wildlife watching.

Savannah National Wildlife Refuge, March 15, 2012. Nikon D7000; 95mm; f/4.5; 1/250sec. (#201203032)

"First Gator" - March 15, 2012

Thursday, 8:58 AM - “Dad… is it going to eat us?” whispered my 8-year-old daughter as we slowly approached the eight-foot gator lying on the bank between the marsh and the car. This was her first adventure to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge (SNWR) and her first time, other than safely in a zoo, encountering up close and personally an American Alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). 

The Laurel Hill Wildlife Drive in the SNWR is a great way to see alligators and wildlife, especially for those who love the outdoors but may not be able to trudge through swamps. The four-mile drive follows the checkerboard levees of an old rice plantation. I was first brought here by a friend in the late 90’s and was overwhelmed by the number of gators congregated in one location. My 1998 photograph of four alligators sunning on a bank at SNWR was for years one of my favorite alligator Life List Photos. 

The refuge harbors a large variety of wildlife including alligators, snakes, turtles, ducks, geese, wading birds, and shorebirds. The wildlife photography opportunities are endless. SNWR contains approximately 6,000 acres of freshwater wetlands, formerly plantation rice fields, which date back to the mid or late 1700's. Approximately 3,000 acres of these former fields are now managed by water control structures. The managed freshwater impoundments are the most important managed habitat within the refuge. The freshwater impoundments provide wintering habitat for approximately 22 species of waterfowl.  Often referred to as "pools", these areas are managed for a diverse array of wildlife and fish throughout the year. The freshwater plant communities within the management units are extremely diverse and compositionally complex. This diversity makes impounded areas ideal habitat for a myriad of water birds. (U.S. Fish Wildlife Service)

201203064

In the warming spring months and early summer mornings, there are alligators on every bank around every turn; even multiple “big ones” sunning together in one spot. In fact, gators can be so numerous that by the end of an hour, the excitement on spotting them can drop to a more monotone “There’s another one…and another one… and another one”, depending upon your level of appreciation and admiration for the wild.  But this one was the first gator; the first gator seen after a four-hour pre-dawn drive from Athens; the first gator Amanda had seen up close in her life. 

Not even a tenth of a mile in on the wildlife drive, there he was; half pulled up out of the water on the bank between the channel of water and the road on which we sat. Of course, we got out of the car for a closer look.  We continued stepping slowly toward the big guy.  Normally, as you cross that invisible line into their comfort zone, they slowly and silently slide backward into the water from which they had silently and slowly emerged to soak some warm spring rays. Two steps. Shutter-clicks. A few more steps; a few more shots.  I normally approach all wildlife in this way:  stealthily stopping every few feet or so to fire another burst of shots from my Nikon. You never really know how close you will get to a wild animal before it sinks, flies, dives, or disappears. I hate to be greedy by pressing in too closely too quickly, waiting to take a shot, only to have the shot dissipate before the lens is even lifted. 

---

But as we approached this guy, he stayed longer than I thought, probably not wanting to lose his gathered morning warmth by sliding back into the cool water. Another step closer; a few more shots. Another step closer; Amanda’s steps being deliberately shorter than mine to stay safely behind her daddy. Another step. Very close now. Another… SPLASH! No graceful, silent slide backward. Almost as if the gator knew this was Amanda’s first close encounter, he put on a show, quickly jerking and spinning his body around to enter the water headfirst. His massive tail that had been lying partially in the water produced a loud slapping splash, adding to the suddenness and splendor of the startling spectacle. With a start, Amanda grabbing my arm, both of us jumped back rapidly; our heart rates just as rapid. As he disappeared under the water, the shock on our faces turned to big smiles: “Man that was cool!” exclaimed 8-year-old Amanda. 

That evening at home, I was impressed with some of the photos on Amanda’s camera from our trip to SNWR. But another thought also came into my mind; a thought that probably should have come into my mind on the bank of the marsh facing the big gator. As I gazed at her very close-up shots of the big guy, I thought, “Wow, should I have let my 8-year-old daughter get so close?” I also recalled the signs to the effect that “alligators are wild animals” and the refuge “is not a zoo and viewing is most safely done from the vehicle.” However, at the time, having done this many times before, I assured myself their behavior is predictable:  they always slide away into the water when you get too close… Don’t they? 

As the day wore on and we spotted gator after gator, Amanda’s excitement may have dropped a notch to “…and there’s another one”, but she will always remember that exciting encounter with her "First Gator".