Surprisingly, they are only territorial over each other, not the water they live in. Alligators can be shockingly timid as well when it comes to territory. A group of tourists was visiting Port Inglis tour near the mouth of Crystal River with Adventure Outpost. They were enjoying a relaxing lunch at the site of an old ghost town on an island in the upper Suncoast Keys. Little did they know, they were about to experience an up-close-and-personal encounter with wildlife. Dolphins are no strangers to these parts. People often enjoy sitting on the shore and watching these intelligent creatures swim around. Dolphins in Florida have a unique method of catching prey: they use their tails to create mud ring-shaped plumes and corral fish into an ever-narrowing circle. The terrified fish then leap from the water, frequently into the dolphins’ eager mouths.
Unlikely Friends
Three alligators unexpectedly emerged from the marshes as the dolphins passed the cove, seemingly attracted by the raucous splashing. A few minutes earlier, the tourists had just paddled throughout the area without seeing a gator. Gators are rarely spotted in this area, especially during the day. It’s safe to infer that the alligators were aware of what the dolphins were up to and wanted to join in. After that, the dolphins quickly circled the fish in an assault formation. The dolphins caught as many fish as they could until one of them swam across the cove, rushed past the cameraman, and purposefully sprayed the river guide with its tail. It then remained motionless for a short while keeping one eye on him to gauge his response. The entire time this is happening, an alligator can be seen lurking in the distance. A comment on the video has a theory as to why the alligator isn’t attacking the dolphin. It reads: “It seems they have an understanding. It’s about food. The dolphins rounding up the fish. The gators are getting in on the action. It’s an easy meal for them as well.” This sounds plausible. These two have no reason to attack one another if they’re both getting to eat plenty of fresh fish. Alligators attack when they’re hungry and it’s safe to say both of these animals have bellies full of fish!
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