Gator Alert!

Uh oh, what is that in the water? I was a little bit scared to see this scary Alligator picture.
Mom met these new Alligator "friends" at Gator Beach at Fudpucker's Restaurant in Destin, FL.

They ambush their prey by pretending to be a log in the water, and they can lunge out of the water at least half their body length!
They eat almost anything that they can swallow whole, including small mammals!
Hey, I am a small mammal!!!!

There were DANGER signs posted all over.
Mom! I don't know if I want to be friends with these Alligators.....they might eat me!

Mom was sad to see these Gators in captivity.

But she did find out that some of the proceeds from this exhibit, support the Emerald Coast Wildlife Refuge, a local FL nonprofit organization that rescues and rehabilitates injured wildlife, so that made mom feel a little better.

There were guides at Gator Beach who educated the visitors on the Alligators.
But what did mom do next??

Mom held a small Alligator! I asked mom how his skin felt, and mom did not want to say.
Then she whispered to me, "JB, it felt like an expensive Italian leather handbag."

I was afraid of that, so I told my mom I was not scared any more and I wanted to be friends with my new Alligator friends.
If I can do anything to help protect them, I will!

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK, and stop by my SMALL WORLD too, thanks!

Great Blue Herons!

Continuing on with my mom's Big World Assignment from Destin, FL, mom was pleased to report that she came in close contact with some Great Blue Herons!

This bird can be found near open shores and wetlands, and both fresh and salt water.

The largest Great Blue Herons can weigh up to 4.8 pounds, with a wingspan of 66-79 inches! These birdies are really BIG!

But what I would like to know is, are these furs or feathers hanging down from his chest??

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK, and stop by my SMALL WORLD too, thanks!

Florida Sandpipers and a Nice View!

When mom was in Florida, she stayed at a hotel right on Fort Walton Beach. She knows how much I like birdies, so she found me some Sandpiper shore bird friends!

My mom has been really busy, so she did not have time to help me research exactly what kind of Sandpipers these are, so I don't feel very smart today.

I do know that these Sandpipers run along the water's edge at the beach, and try to find small insects and crustaceans to eat.

And guess what? They don't like to get caught in deep water, so they tend to run away quickly when waves come ashore. Just like me......I don't like water on me either!

Mom told me she had a really great view from her hotel room, and she saw my Sandpiper friends on the beach every day.

JB: But mom, how did this picture get on my blog? This is not an animal friend for me!

Mom: Just wanted to show everyone the "nice uh, view" from my hotel room!

Before you go, please sign my GUESTBOOK, and stop by my SMALL WORLD too, thanks!