Looks Can Be Deceiving

At first glance, the St. Augustine Alligator Farm screams “Tourist Trap”. Given that it is in St Augustine, home to the Old Jail and the Fountain of Youth, it would come as no big surprise. But at some point after its founding in 1893, they found a way to make money on their 10 acre site while supporting and rescuing wildlife on the Florida Peninsula and beyond.

What You’ll Find Reptiles and Spoonbills

There are many large alligators, verifying the status of the place as a “Farm” for these reptiles. They aren’t particularly lively until feeding time, and I suppose that’s what many visitors look forward to the most. I found the bird exhibits to be much more interesting. Above where the alligators wallow is a noisy, crowded rookery for waterfowl. There’s so much activity going on, it is hard to focus on a few birds at a time. As one small example, Roseate Spoonbills were hunted for their feathers, starting in the same era the Alligator Farm opened. Feathers were used for fashionable women’s hats and fans. By the time Route One opened, there were only 30 to 50 nesting pairs left in Florida, on some of the remote keys in Florida Bay. Finally, they gained legal protection from hunters and their numbers began to rebound. Despite a setback from the effects of DDT in the 1960s, Roseate Spoonbills are off the endangered list and are once again a common sight in the Southeastern US today. There were dozens of them nesting at the Alligator Farm. They are bizarre, amazing, and beautiful.

Standard Tourist Impulse Opportunities

Okay, I admit the Crocodile Crossing zipline and the gift shop exist to separate the impulsive tourists from their money, but the Farm’s main work of conservation, appreciation and education outweigh a few capitalist adornments of the park.