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 earlier 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.
Black Crowned Night 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. Why would you pick one over the other to visit? Both cater to photographers and try to make it easy to capture images of wild birds. This table lists other factors that I think are 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. 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. |
| 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: re-instated in 2012. February through July, 7:30am to dusk. $99.99. | 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. If you haven’t been to either one, choose the whichever is most convenient for you.
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.
You can capture stunning images at both places, so pick the one that is most convenient for you.
©2010, 2019 Ed Rosack. All rights reserved.
Hi there. Thank you so much. I have been trying to determine if rookery sizes were comparable and if nesting was closer at one park over the other if you have a smaller lens.
Hi Lorena,
I haven’t been to the St. Augustine Alligator Farm rookery in several years – not because Gatorland is necessarily better, it’s just closer for me.
I’d say Gatorland is larger in size, but both have plenty of opportunities for shorter focal length lenses. You’d probably be happy with the photo ops at either one.
Good luck on your visit and If you post your photos somewhere, please let me know!
Ee