Prompted by the thread about the child being grabbed in Florida, I’m somewhat concerned about this. As someone who overnights occasionally on lakes known to have 'gators, I wonder how much danger this presents.
I hunted around on YouTube and found this clip of an alligator attempting to board a boat, but it appears they’re in shallow water and the animal is pushing himself up from the bottom. I’m wondering if a similarly sized animal could board a boat in deeper water where tail or feet had no solid purchase.
I’m particularly curious when the boat in question has a low stern and easily accessible aft platform like, say this one. In fact, I’m concerned about that exact configuration.
So, is it possible for an alligator to somehow gain enough purchase (perhaps by thrusting with its tail) to enter a boat from deep water? If so, is there a good way to repel such an attempt?
With something of a run and some luck a gator may be able to make it into the average pleasure boat in deeper water; something like a john boat no problem. But I would wonder why. I would almost thing you would have to bait or taunt the animal into the attempt.
From trips to Gatorland as a kid, I have witnessed them thrust 5 feet or so out of water to grab a chicken, so it is definitely within their capability.
About 20 years ago I was on an Everglades airboat tour in Florida. The operator was throwing bread on the surface of the water to attract birds to the surface of the water. Suddenly there was a 6 foot gator flying through the air completely out of the water trying to grab a bird right out of the air. Good thing I didn’t have a full bladder.
So yeah getting into the airboat would have been no problem, but apparently they just have no reason to do so.
The stern of the boat in OP’s link may as well have a
“'Gators! Free Buffet Inside! Come On UP!”
sign - the boarding platform with a walk-through is bad enough, but the platform even has a rim around it for a claw to attach.
The 'gator that took the kid was just doing what every predator tries to do: find a young, slow, and weak member of he species which has fallen behind the herd.
A small child on that platform has to be hoping that every 'gator in the lake is already full, 'cause if not, he’s a quick snack.
Apparently, alligators can be tamed, housebroken, taught not to snap at people, and learn to ride ATV’s. :dubious: They make fine pets, and will follow you around like a puppy dog, and cuddle up in bed with you, and play nice with the neighborhood children.
The boat in the OP looks difficult to board for an alligator that won’t fit through the narrow gateway in between the platform and the main body of the boat. Maybe some simple gate would provide sufficient safety. I have heard of gators in Florida ending up in people’s swimming pools and unable to get out so tail propulsion and they’re little legs may be not be good enough to get on a boat like that, but there are also plenty of stories about gators getting onto land in unlikely places also.
Thanks to everyone for the replies. It seems that alligators are much more able to get “aloft” than I realized. Yikes!
I guess my options are:
a) encourage certain in-laws to lounge on the swim step (“Here Jim Bob, take this bucket 'o chicken with ya.”), or
b) a bigger gun.
