Chasing gators with a kayak

By Greg

Sneaking up on a 12 foot alligator in a 9 foot kayak wasn’t one of my best decisions.

Let me start by stating that I DO NOT recommend this practice.  I’m always up for a challenge and certainly won’t turn down an opportunity for a solid dose of adrenaline every now and then, but I have discovered that I have limits on “adrenaline events”.  My initial idea was to do a little kayak fishing - a new hobby that has overcome me - on an awesome summer morning.  I hit the water around 6am and the fish were jumping so often I couldn’t decide where to anchor up and cast.  After about 20 minutes, I was done.  I do have the patience, and I don’t particulary mind catching nothing… it’s just that I discovered that being 6′4″ and 220 in a 9′ kayak didn’t leave any room for fishing.  My decision was simple. Drop of the fishing gear and paddle around for a bit.

I love kayaking.  The peace and quiet, the cell phone not ringing and the lawnmower far from me.  This particular day I decided to “explore” some waters I had not been in… turns out it was a habitat for grandpaw gator.  Whereas this doesn’t seem quite so menacing that I “spotted a gator”, it is precarious when you discover that you’ve paddled into a dead end where gator boy lives.  It’s when I turned around… the “log” submerged and I realized it was not… a log.

As any God fearing man would do… I prayed that simple prayer:  Lord help me… lord help me.. lord help me… amen.  I took a deep breath and started paddling out of the inlet.  As I passed last known spot of gator boy, I was at full paddle (throwing up an impressive rooster tail) and praying… lord help me… lord help me.. lord help me… and then as if out of nowhere the encouter occurs!!  A splash just under my bow (let’s not forget I’m at water level in a freakin’ 9′ kayak) rolls up under me, the hair on the back of my neck stood up, my pupils constricted, this surge of power rushed through my arms and I..  and I… scream like a little girl.

Yep.  It turns out that the splash under my kayak was a fish jumping out of the water… ~stupid fish~.  I turned to look and the gator was way back a away form me, just lumbering around (actually trying to get away from the loon that was making all the racket).

So what did I do?  I collected myself, checked for soil in my boxers, and then like any self-respecting man, looked around to see if anyone saw me… ahhh… no one saw me.  So, to give my story credence, I returned to the scene for some pics.

The big head of the gator... look at that evil eye!
The big head of the gator… look at that evil eye!
This the "log" at water level
This is the “log” at water level

I’m now headed to the outdoor store for a bigger kayak.  I’ve set my mind on the Wilderness Systems Tarpon 120 — great for fishing and outrunning gators. 

Isn’t it awesome to see nature up close?  God certainly has his fingerprint on every small detail.  Even though I was scared out of my mind when I was “under attack”, it was awesome to be a part of natural order ( I just didn’t have my pistol).  I look at the gator, and I look at me in the mirror and certainly believe that intelligent design was behind it all… and Darwin was a kook.
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Filed in: Outdoors • Friday, August 1st, 2008
 

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Welcome, and thanks for dragging yourself over to Live|Bold! My name is Greg Arnold and I am pumped to see you here. This interactive online community is here to point every man toward the cross. Whether you have been a follower of Christ for ages, or you are just stumbling into this strange new world of faith, we have something of value to offer you. This online e-zine is a cross between a blog, a social network, a resource center, and a pulpit. My hope is to inspire you to live your faith on the outside and be a real man for God. We need you in the fight.