A 6-foot alligator was spotted cruising through the water at Silver Glen Recreation Area in the Ocala National Forest the afternoon of Sept. 11. The swimming area was closed for nearly an hour but reopened after the gator was spotted swimming away into the spring run.
The gator was heading from a roped-off hole forbidden to the public toward the boats in the spring run just beyond the buoys. Swimmers were gradually allowed back into the water.
Normally, alligators are wary of clear spring waters because they are ambush predators, but they are spotted swimming across public areas…