Comparing Gatorland to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm
Intro
A few weeks ago, I promised to compare the St. Augustine Alligator Farm to Gatorland from the point of view of a nature / wildlife photography enthusiast. And in this post, I’ll do it.
This entry is only a top level summary of what you can expect at each place. For more information, please look at previous posts I’ve done, which you can find via the blog table of contents or by using the search box at the top of the page.
Heron roosting at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm.
Summary table
Both of these parks have rookeries where wild birds come to roost. This concentration of avian visitors is very handy for the bird photographer. Both parks cater to photographers and try to make it easy to capture images of the birds. Why would you pick one over the other to visit? This table lists factors that I think would be important when comparing these parks. I’ve listed each along with a comment to explain and a + or – rating to show which place I think comes out ahead on that factor.
| Factor: | Gatorland | Alligator Farm |
|---|---|---|
| Birds | ||
| variety: | Herons, egrets, spoonbills, wood storks, anhinga, limpkins, vultures, others
+ |
Herons, egrets, spoonbills, wood storks, vultures, others
+ |
| number of birds: | Many
+ |
Many
+ |
| Distance: | Birds can be quite close and are used to humans, with some nesting within feet of the boardwalk. Some species are high in the trees.
+ |
Birds can be quite close and are used to humans, with some nesting within feet of the boardwalk. Some species are high in the trees.
+ |
| behavior: | Natural and varied. Courting, brooding, nesting, hatching, fledging, etc.
+ |
Natural and varied. Courting, brooding, nesting, hatching, fledging, etc.
+ |
| Other wildlife: | Large variety, with most of the animals easily accessible to photographers.
+ |
Large variety, with most of the animals easily accessible to photographers.
+ |
| Information available: | Lots of info available on the Website, and especially the blog. There is a Flickr group where you can see the types of photos possible.
+ |
Lots of info available on the Website, There is a Flickr group, where you can see the types of photos possible. A Yahoo group posts rookery updates. |
| Exhibits and shows: | Several, good for the kids.
+ |
Some, good for the kids. |
| Price: | $20 – 100 (adults). Some discounts available. | $20 – 70 (adults) |
| Photo pass available: | Yes, $100 – with early entry at 7:30am | Yes, $70 – with early entry at 8:00am |
| Proximity | ~40 minutes from Winter Springs. Closer to Orlando.
+ |
~1 hour, 50 minutes from Winter Springs. Farther from Orlando.
- |
| Other photo ops in the area: | Gatorland is a little isolated from other photo opportunities in the area. | Historic St. Augustine has a huge number of photo opportunities.
+ |
| Other attractions in the area: | Many attractions and parks in the Orlando area within a short drive.
+ |
A few smaller attractions are close by.
- |
Conclusions
Which one should you go to? For nature and wildlife photography, I would say you probably can’t go wrong with either place, although Gatorland comes out slightly ahead in the comparison. The staff at both parks is friendly, but Gatorland seems even more so and is especially helpful to photographers.
If you’re going for more than just photography, then Gatorland is also probably a little more well rounded, with more to do. On the other hand, the Alligator farm makes for a nice day trip from Orlando when you combine it with a stop in the historical district or the fort.
But you can capture stunning images at both places, so pick the one that is most convenient for you.
©2010, Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.
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