Perfect Pond Perch
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Give me a perfect perch at my site, and I am one happy camper!
Not only did I have a beautiful Great Blue Heron buddy visiting alongside me daily, there were other things to watch in the water and overhead.
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Of course, alligators lived in the pond. The camp host told me they had three alligators. After my week there, I know there were at least four.
When I hung out on the pier for any length of time, at least one of the gators would appear off in the distance and swim over to pass by me or literally stop and just stare at me.
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The pond was also stocked with five species of fish, for anyone’s fishing pleasure.
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Not sure what species, but it’s about 2 feet long
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And then there was this one creature that I spotted. It didn’t surface any more than shown in my photos below.
From the eyes to the end of its snout was about six inches long.
It wasn’t a gator. Was it a snake or turtle? A creature washed inland from the Gulf of Mexico during one of the previous recent hurricanes?
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Well, I knew one thing, it bugged me not knowing. So I contacted an Alabama reptile facebook page that helped with IDs.
No creature from the depths.
No snake, no gator.
Just one very big softshell turtle.
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Softshell Turtle
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The photo was a hit on their facebook page with the odd-looking photo, confirmations galore on ID, as well as guesses joking that it was a baby hippo.
Baby hippo? I see that! 😉
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Photos by Donna 
So incredible! Your pictures are so very precious!
Thank you so much, Isabel! It makes me happy to know my passion for wildlife and photography shines through my posts. ❤
I don’t like the way that gator is eyeing you up!
A little intimidating, huh?!! No lie, when I first went out on that pier, I jumped/moved around on it to make sure it was secured and not wobbly!
Absolutely
What an assortment of critters! It looks like dream vacation, Donna!
Thank you, Indira! Now if we could have only stayed longer at this site….. 😉
I was about to say, that turtle looks an awful lot like a little hippo. 🙂 The alligators seem a little too interested in you. Great pictures, though.
Thanks Barbara! One commenter said I should check with the local zoo to see if a baby hippo escaped lol. Yea, that gator did eye me up a few times…. 🤔
Magnificent images of aquatic creatures. Interesting to see how the mirror image of the alligator changes the color of the eye.
Thanks Hans! I do love to take reflection shots, and I’ve noticed sometimes the mirror image is more colorful than the real one, whether or not with animals, trees (like autumn foilage sometimes) and blue skies/sunsets. 🙂
Fine alligator shots! And one strange looking turtle 😏
Thank you, Belinda! That turtle photo really bugged me, I was worried it was a python or some other big snake. 😉
I also thought it resembled a baby hippo but was sure it wasn’t. Soft shelled turtle surprised me though as I had two (on separate occasions) as pets when I was a kid. This one must have been a monster.
Now if it only had little hippo ears to wiggle! 😅 I read that softshells can get as large as 18-24″ across. This one I saw was a biggie!
My first thought was baby hippo, but I knew it couldn’t be that in America, but it sure looks like one. But I’ve seen baby hippos and they’re not small. Fun little quiz, and I was happy you pursued and found an answer. Oh how I enjoyed each of these artistic photos, Donna. Your repertoire of alligators here is impressive. I espec. like the golden light with the alligator’s silhouette and water lines.
Thanks so much, Jet, your comments make me smile wide. 🙂 I am a curious one, lol, and I was also worried it was a huge snake. The lighting on that pond was stupendous, I really worked those gators. 😉
The soft shell turtle sighting is great! You caught some great moments in this pond!
Thank you very much!!
Wow, great captures, Donna. That turtle was a surprise! The gators look so prehistoric, they probably have changed little in millions of years.
Thank you, Eliza! You’re probably right, I wonder what the size was way back then? Probably larger! 😲
I just looked it up… 35-40 feet long and 4 tons! Big as a boat (with teeth)! 😉
And sharp claws…..oh my goodness!! 😲
And HUGE teeth … yikes!
The softshell turtle is the highlight of your post, even though all your photos are amazing, as always🙂
Thank you, Christie, the turtle was a cute critter, and what a face!
A diverse collection of wildlife in the waters. They are great photos! I water is so clear!
Thank you very much! I don’t think my eyes ever stop looking around until they see something, even in the water for a fish. I’m never bored! hehe
Wow! You’re surrounded by alligators and turtles! No wonder there are no birds. Have fun, Donna. 🙂
I was, HJ! You’re right, most birds flew over and kept on going, once they saw those alligators. 😉 I got a few to share in my next post. 🙂
Great series of images Donna! Enjoyed seeing them! Looks like you are having a Great time photographing there!
Thank you, Reed! It was a cool camp site for sure!
I believe your mystery guest was a soft shell turtle, very strange looking fellows 😂😂. Also compliments on the gator shots, caught the shades and color of the juveniles hides nicely.
Thanks, Ted! That’s what it was, I had it confirmed by an Alabama reptile group. Gotta love those gators, they really do give some unique captures!
We don’t have many in the Lowcountry but inland I see them often. Strange looking critters LOL.
Yes they are! I photographed two turtles today, I think they were softshells too, I haven’t downloaded them yet to view. Now I got softshells on my brain, LOL.
I never knew there were so many different types of turtles until moving here. And…many are like those little sparrows. Look almost identical to me LOL
There is no doubt that your turtle did look like a baby hippo. That would have been some capture. I enjoyed the alligators but I am more than happy only to see them in photographs.
Thank you, Tom, the turtle just needed tiny wiggly ears, lol. I have enjoyed photographing alligators this past winter and now, but when I have gone back through the shots, I can see ‘a look’ in the eye. Only safe shots for me!
Good policy.
I thought of a hippo, too! I gather you are not perched on a canal or bridge, like the last time you were observing alligators. I am fond of the image of the alligator where you can see part of its body under the water. Stay safe!
A cute baby hippo, lol. It was fun the way the shot came out. We were at an RV camp resort and our site had a small fishing pier for our use only if we wanted to fish. (we didn’t) When I booked it, I was eye-balling it as a wildlife perch for me. 😉 hehe
Crockagators are camera hounds. They weren’t staring at you. They were posing for you. “Take my picture, pleeeeeeeeeez…” LOL!
Your fish looks like a Carp, judging by the skin’s grid pattern and dorsal fin…plus this:
Didn’t know about a soft shell turtle. It has a little piggy snout. I looked them up.
“And if you slip in, I’ll help you!” hehe
I just looked it up, the five acre lake is stocked with five types of fish: Asian Carp, Talapia, Florida Large-Mouth Bass, Cooper-Noise Bluegill, and Redfish. Are all carp the same? It looks like it. (I don’t know fish at all.)
I Googled/Binged bass because I thought the pattern was bass but, I got sent down a rabbit hole of freshwater fish. I searched pictures for your fish’s pattern.
Not all Carp are the same. There is a European Mirror Carp that looks nothing like your fish.
Great shots Donna, especially the Gator in the different light. That soft shelled turtle could easily have you worried.
Thank you much, Ashley! The gators are a fun challenge as long as it’s from a safe spot! 😉 That turtle had me really thinking it was a real big snake.
I ‘got’ the hippo too! 😊 Great photos as always Donna. Love the way gators seem to be able to ‘hang’ in the water and that photo of the fish is superb! Well done!
😊 I was glad it wasn’t a huge snake, that had me worried. I got some photos of one of the gators’ head above the water, and he was sitting on the bottom with his back legs out and tail putting back. Looked comical! 😉
Lovely shots!
The gators look scary, how far were you standing?
The soft shell turtle looks adorable.
Thank you! On the close-ups of the gators, they were about six feet away, with me up on a pier. 🙂
This is a wonderful series! I love how successful and different each shot is. The shot with a sunset/rise reflection is especially nice!
Thank you so much, Denise! I think the gators liked checking me out. hehe
Wow..wow… Superb!!!
Thank you very much, Jyothi!
You are a great photographer and a brave one! 😁
Thank you very much, Irene! 😉 (I make sure I am safe!)
Wonderful shots, Donna!!!
Thank you, Carol!!
Nice group of gator images, Donna, and cool on that turtle. They are odd creatures, for sure. I particularly like the gator with orange glow on the water. The water swirl from his tail is a real bonus!
Thank you very much, Ellen! I’m sure you see enough gators in your hikes. 🙂 I did have a good spot to be up over them which was cool. And yes I loved the tail water swirls too! Made me nervous a little lol when one would spot me and come over with a little speed, and those water swirls developed, I knew he was moving at a good clip.
Definitely a baby hippo! What do the experts know anyway?
😉 Right!