08/12/2026
I just want to say something briefly regarding yesterday’s alligator bite on the Silver River, because there is understandably a lot of conversation surrounding it.
Swimming is prohibited in the Silver River, and we fully support that rule.
As a private river guide, I offer tours in this river six days a week, year-round, and have for the last four years. In all that time, I have never once put my body into the river. It really isn’t a difficult boundary to respect when you understand that this is a wild ecosystem first, and a recreational space second.
Swimming in alligator habitat that has not been modified or designated for swimming is a bad idea for several reasons:
1. You put yourself at risk.
2. You can put the next person at risk by changing how wildlife responds to human presence.
3. You put the wildlife at risk when an encounter results in an animal being removed or killed.
4. You contribute to the degradation of an already heavily used and incredibly fragile ecosystem.
And yes, that last one includes you. One person may feel insignificant, but hundreds and thousands of people individually deciding the rules don't apply to them is exactly how natural places become damaged.
As someone who considers herself a steward of this river- I take the responsibility seriously. When I witness prohibited swimming, I document it and report it. I will continue to do so every time, regardless of whether the person is a tourist, a local, an employee, or even another guide. Accountability is needed. Consequences that don’t include gator bites are needed. Most importantly, respect for the river’s boundaries are needed.
Being local does not give any of us greater ownership of the Silver River. Loving this place does not entitle us to use it however we want. If anything, knowing and loving it should make us more willing to protect it.
The Silver River is a wild Florida river inhabited by wild animals behaving exactly as wild animals are supposed to behave.
We can enjoy it. We can paddle it. We can observe it. We can learn from it. But we also have a responsibility to know when to leave something alone.
Respecting wild Florida means accepting that not every beautiful place exists for us to physically enter, touch, alter, or make our own.
It is so incredibly unfortunate when an alligator is killed for a person’s own personal entitlement and disruptive behavior. There is a very good chance this alligator in particular was a nesting mama at this time of year, as there are several her size currently nesting in the Silver River. If this is the case, her babies will call out when ready to hatch, and there will be no mama to open their nest.
Please respect the boundaries put in place for the protection of all, as well as the staff, volunteers and river patrol who work hard to enforce them.
