Alligators

Enjoy the Alligators of Hilton Head Island . . .

But Watch Them From a Distance. . . stay at least 15 feet away and DO NOT FEED the alligators.

Alligators look slow and lazy, but an alligator can outrun a horse for short distances. Alligators can't turn very fast. So if an alligator comes after you, make a right angle turn. Don't try to outrun an alligator.

Also keep in mind that alligators eat ALL types of small animals, even "small deer" -- and alligators love to eat dogs.

You can see alligators in the lagoons all over Hilton Head Island. Alligators don't live in saltwater, but they will swim across saltwater to get to better food sources. And they will hangout in saltwater for a few days at a time.

The Savannah National Wildlife Refuge is a great place to see literally tons of alligators. (Of course, it doesn't take many alligators to make tons of alligators.)

I usually see two to three dozen alligators everytime I go to the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge in the summer and at least a dozen or more even in the cooler months.

The Savannah Wildlife Refuge is between Hilton Head Island and Savannah on the Georgia and South Carolina border. The area with the most alligators is on the South Carolina side and is only about 30 minutes from Hilton Head Island.

You can drive the 4-mile dirt road through the Savannah Wildlife Refuge and have a "mini safari" that the kids will love.

Of course, you can stop and get out of your car for a closer look. The mosquitoes are bad sometimes. (Maybe mosquitoes are considered wildlife and they're protected too.)

The Savannah Wildlife Refuge is also one of the best bird watching spots in the Southeast.

For pictures, directions and more information about alligators and the Savannah National Wildlife Refuge click here.