An
email came in this week from Joe Valinotti at Dolphin Point:
"Did anyone else besides my family and a neighbor see
the alligator swimming about 200 yards offshore in the Dolphin
Point area around 7 PM yesterday (Thursday night)? He
appeared to be headed towards Pierce Creek from Whittaker Creek."
We haven't heard from anyone that spotted this particular alligator
- but quickly got a couple other reports.
Don Sinkiewicz
wrote in:
"On
May 15, a diver checking boats at Deaton's "Sales"
Docks (in Pecan Grove Marina) reported seeing an alligator around
2 ft long."
George Midyette
paddles all about the county. He writes:
"On 12 Sep 2004 I was paddling in upper Broad Creek and
spotted a wood duck up close. This in itself isn't all that
unusual but the fact that the duck was in a gator's mouth made
it quite unusual.
I have been hearing stories about gators in Pamlico County for
quite some time - even found a skeleton in the marsh in Garbacon
Creek in the late 70's but had never seen a live one for myself
until this. I have also talked with other eye witnesses about
a gator in Pierce's Creek. so what was spotted could very well
be a gator."
So - are gators supposed be here? Well, according to this NC
Wildlife Resources Commission map....this is gator country.
We
researched a bit more. Here's a fun description from the NC
Wildlife people:
Two dark
eyes and a leathery back skim the water at the edge of a murky
swamp. Like a large black lizard, the alligator scans the bank
in search of food. The American alligator inhabits the fresh
waters of North Carolina’s coast and other southeastern
states.
Male alligators grow to about 11 or 12 feet long and weigh from
450 to 550 lbs. Alligators are social animals and they congregate
often, especially during the breeding season.
Gulp. Now
we feel a lot better. Up to 12 feet long....can get to 550 pounds.
But hey, they're social animals.
Got a local
alligator story? Send it in to news@towndock.net.
