Gator Sights and Bites

Jason

May 21, 2012 — 2 min read

Alabama’s gulf coast if full of adventures, but one of our favorites starts at the Delta.

A must stop on Alabama’s gulf coast is the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center. It’s a spankin’ new facility right where the Mobile, Spanish, Tensaw, Apalachee and Blakeley rivers flow into Mobile Bay. It’s like a water family reunion! The center is for all things outdoors and big on conservation and education of the over 250,000 acres of waterways, woods and wetlands. They host a slew of activities, programs and classes but we wanted to see some Gators!

Wild Native (at 5 Rivers Delta) hosts kayaking expeditions that allow you to get up close and personal with alligators! We were escorted by Captain Michael Dorie and his crew. They are not your typical tour guides. They know the local flora, fauna and wildlife but most importantly they’re FUN! Our mission is to see as many alligators as possible! We lost count around 7 or 8.

There is no hard schedule or set route, if you see something you want to explore, they are happy to check it out with you. It’s more like paddling with friends and by the end of the trip, you will be! Our paddle ended at one of the restaurants on the canal with local gator brew and gator bites. The best part is…it’s included in the kayaking price! These guys know how to host a trip and this is one of the coolest paddling trips we’ve ever been on!

If paddling isn’t your thing, the 5 Rivers Delta Resource Center is still worth the stop and most everything they offer is free!