News

Water Quality Specialist Taylor Register Seijo set out on a sixth round of Slocum Creek sampling this week, and got another reptilian surprise.

Last month, she stepped on a large copperhead snake (that promptly disappeared into the rocks at one sampling site); this time, it was alligators.

Slocum Creek in Havelock is known as a “gator hotspot,” but Taylor had previously only seen them from a distance.

“I had the pleasure of paddling alongside several alligators,” Taylor said. “This trip, I saw six alligators in total over the course of an hour, with one of them swimming under my kayak, which was really cool to see.”

Taylor said it’s the middle of the mating season for alligators, so they’re a lot less reclusive than usual.

This yearlong, monthly sampling project, in partnership with University of North Carolina Institute of Marine Sciences, comes courtesy of a North Carolina Land and Water Fund grant. The goal is to monitor, track and resolve ongoing pollution in the southwest prong of Slocum Creek.

“We’re concentrating on the general area of Wolf Pit Branch, because everywhere else in the southwest prong is pretty clean,” Taylor said. “That means collecting additional samples in Wolf Pit and some other unnamed tributaries to see if we can ID any other sources or at least narrow it down to a specific area. Unfortunately, most of this section of the southwest prong is very swampy with narrow channels, so we’ll definitely have to do some more brainstorming on access points.”

As for the alligators, it’s all in a day’s work, according to Taylor.

“I don’t want to discourage anyone from paddling out here because of them. American alligators don’t really pose a threat to humans unless you’re actively messing with them or their dens, and they’re not gonna chase you down or anything just for paddling in the creek,” she said. “So, as a reminder, now that it’s summer and they’re more active in our area, appreciate them from a respectful distance and do not feed them!”

Like Taylor’s sampling-rounds wildlife adventures? We’re quite entertained by them! Donate today to support a healthy Slocum Creek (and its wildlife)!