Adventure Through Gatorland

Visit the alligator capital of the world, Gatorland. Located in sunny Central Florida, Gatorland is definitely up there on the list of Orlando’s Best Half Day Attractions. The alligator theme park and wildlife preserve is 110-acres and just a few minutes drive from Sea World, Walt Disney World, Universal Studios, and Orlando International Airport.

Gatorland has been in existence since 1949 and provides affordable, fun family entertainment. The park has various attractions which have drawn visitors from all over the world. The biggest attraction at Gatorland is naturally the incredible display of huge alligators and their close relatives, crocodiles. The park is home to amongst the biggest of these prehistoric beasts in the world. The largest of these predators can be found on Alligator Island, situated in the northern section of Gatorland’s “Gator Lake”. If you’re really lucky you might become aquatinted with Alf, a gigantic American Crocodile measuring over 15 feet and weighing in at over 1,000 pounds.

Alligator Island’s central feature is a large palm tree which provides shade for the gators and crocs. The palm is also home several species of native Florida Birds such as the Greater Egret, Florida Grackals, and Snowy Egret which all make their nests in this large tree. Several female alligators use the island and its huge tree for their nests during breeding season. Lastly, Alligator Island is also home to several thousand Mexican Free-Tail Bats which inhabit a specially designed “bat house” built on the island. The bats only venture out at night and consume vast quantities of insects, assisting the park in eliminating these irritating critters, before returning to their abode for some shuteye during the day. Other attractions at Gatorland include a magnificent train ride, aviary, breeding marsh, bird sanctuary, petting zoo (a favourite for kids), easy nature walk, gift shop and last but not least, one-of-a-kind shows such as the world famous Gator Jumparoo.

Mentioned above, Gatorland’s breeding marsh was created in 1991 as a natural breeding ground for the park’s gators. The area spans over 10 acres and contains 130 adult alligators, comprising 100 females and 30 males. These alligators live their lives in a completely natural environment and produce the next generation of Gatorland’s precious reptiles. Visitors are treated to unprecedented views of the breeding marsh from a 3 story Observation Tower with raised wooden walkways.

Just a short time after its development the Gatorland breeding marsh became a haven for several different species of Florida’s birds, these include Herons, Egrets, Cormorants, Ibis, Storks and Anhingas. Due to the presence of the alligators the birds are largely protected from their natural predators (racoons, snakes and bobcats) and have taken to using the ‘secure’ area as both a roosting and nesting site.

The Bird Rookery gives visitors to Gatorland the unique opportunity to view the courtship, mating, nesting and feeding behaviours of not simply alligators, but also wild birds in their native habitat. If you’re a bird lover, Gatorland may be just for you as it’s one of the largest and most accessible Bird Rookeries in Florida and was chosen, in November 2000, by the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission as part of its Great Florida Birding Trail. You can check out the Breeding Marsh area on Gatorland’s Gator Cam (interactive webcam) if you log onto the Gatorland website.

Tickets for the park can be bought online from the Gatorland website so if you’re in planning a trip to the sunny Keys your adventure awaits you!

www.gatorland.com