Alligators in Crystal River!? What You Need to Know
Crystal River is well known for being home to thousands of diverse wildlife species. At the center of our kayak tour route, is Three Sisters Springs National Wildlife Refuge. This area acts as a sanctuary for all kinds of important and unique animals! The species found in the area range from adorable manatees and otters to swooping peregrine falcons and bald eagles.
However, less charismatic and adorned animals, like the Alligator, call this waterway home. These keystone species play a big part in the ecosystem and are often misunderstood. So let’s be honest, are they really all that dangerous?
What Are Alligators?
Alligators are a large reptile that are commonly found throughout Florida and other southeastern states of the United States. The specific species of alligator that calls Florida home is the American alligator (Alligator mississippiensis). They love to be in slow-moving, freshwater bodies of water because they can tolerate only a little bit of saltwater! Despite starting off life as the size of a small lizard when newly hatched, alligators can grow to be huge–with males averaging around 11 ft long and females averaging around 8 feet long. These alligators spend most of their time looking lazy, basking in the sun to regulate their temperature.
Often, alligators get confused with their close relatives, the crocodiles. You can tell them apart because of the shape of their snouts. Alligators have a U-shaped, rounded snout, while crocodiles have a sharper looking V-shaped snout. Lastly, let’s be clear about something… crocs do NOT live in Crystal River!
How Often Do We See Alligators on Tours?
Tours with Get Up and Go Kayaking often center around wildlife and learning more about native species and their roles in the ecosystem around us. This includes alligators! While alligators aren’t always seen during our tours, we have become well-acquainted with the ones that live in the area and tend to know when they are likely to be seen. If we see one lying out on the sandbank, we keep our distance and do our best not to disturb them at all.
During our Manatee Season Tours, when the temperatures begin to drop, and manatees flood into the springs to overwinter, we tend to see fewer alligators. They are non-aggressive towards manatees (that’s right! They DON’T eat manatees!) and are likely pushed out of their usual hangouts with the influx of our adorable big grey snowbirds! As it gets colder, alligators also tend to be less active, and during extreme cold, they can go into a state of dormancy similar to hibernation.
During our Three Sisters Springs Tours, the likelihood of seeing an alligator gets higher because they no longer are competing with hundreds of manatees for space, plus the warm weather allows them to be more active. Often during these times, alligators can be spotted along the shoreline basking in the warm rays of the sun!
Are Alligators Dangerous?
Baseline, alligators are wild animals! They should always be respected and never harassed, fed or touched. This is where the majority of alligator attacks happen–when humans are doing something risky around alligators that eventually leads to an attack. This was discovered through a study by researchers at the University of Florida and published in the scientific journal, Human-Wildlife Interactions. Through documenting and categorizing what people were doing right before an alligator attack, it was found that 96% of those attacks could be attributed to risky behavior on the part of the person who had been attacked.
How does this translate for our tours? Simply, don’t do anything risky! Always listen to your guide and never approach an alligator. They are NOT inherently aggressive animals. Often, they are much more afraid of us than we are of them, so if you happen to get too close to them, it will likely result in them running or swimming away. However, viewing them and taking photos from a respectful distance is the best way to appreciate our alligator
friends during your tour! As long as you listen to your guide and use common sense, there is no danger involved.
Ready to See Some Wildlife?
Now that you’re in the know about alligators––you’re all set to go on your next clear kayaking adventure with Get Up and Go Kayaking! You can easily book online or call our phone number (352) 747-4289 to get more information about our tours and get a reservation set right away. We look forward to seeing you out in Crystal River soon!! Ready to see your first gator?
References
Mederos, Lourdes. “People, Not Gators, at Fault in Most Alligator Bite Cases.” Ufl.edu, 16 Apr.
2025, news.ufl.edu/2025/04/alligator-bites/.
Smithsonian’s National Zoo & Conservation Biology Institute. “American Alligator.” Smithsonian’s National Zoo, Smithsonian’s National Zoo, 20 Sept. 2019, nationalzoo.si.edu/animals/american-alligator.