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through.

      For our life goals, we all find ways to challenge ourselves, and we are all each responsible for following the dreams that drive us. It was this very philosophy that had placed me smack in the middle of the Everglades’ timeless expanse of wilderness.

      From just a few feet to my left, Mario called out, “Got a moccasin over here… a big one!” We crept up slowly, and sure enough, coiled on a mound of dead saw grass was one of the most dangerous biological landmines we could have stumbled upon, the Florida Water Moccasin. These snakes can be incredibly aggressive if provoked or accidentally stepped on, and a single bite can put enough venom into a human body to cost the victim a limb and possibly even his or her life.

      Mario backed up the camera team and instructed us to alter our route. Little did we know at the time that encountering this snake and Mario’s decision to change our direction would lead us down a fated path for which we had long been searching.

      Mark and Chance carefully followed behind me. I knew what they were thinking. That was a big, venomous snake. I could see their gears grinding; they were on edge as each squish of their boots into the muck, just a foot below the water’s surface, was taken with precision and care. It’s important to take your time when exploring in nature because you never know what sort of biological landmines you may run into next.

      So, what exactly is a biological landmine, you may ask?

      Great question!

      A ‘bio-landmine’ is what we as a team have come to define as any plant or animal in the environment that one may accidentally stumble upon and that has the potential to do harm. From snakes, spiders, and scorpions to sink mud, cacti, and poisonous plants, nature is full of hidden dangers.

      The potential peril of bio-landmines should never be taken lightly, but I was confident that in my heightened state of awareness, nothing could stop me from achieving our goal. While the crew was busy considering the possible dangers of the landscape we were venturing across, my mind was focused on one thing… finding an enormous alligator.

      The clouds stretched across the horizon were epic, and as the dying sun began to illuminate them from a steep angle, a vast golden glowing hue became our backdrop. As I rounded a thick growth of cattails, meshed with saw grass and shrubs, my heart began to beat faster as a feeling in my chest told me that we were not alone.

      Perhaps you know the feeling? You can find it in the shadows of your closet, or in the mystery of what’s lurking under your bed. You cannot define it, but you know that something unseen is there… and it terrifies you.

      That is when we saw him, partially submerged in an isolated pocket of water, his gnarled hide protruding from the surface and glistening in the warm colors of the setting sun. We all stood still as our eyes traced up the animal’s back, toward its massive and prehistoric looking head. You never forget the first time you make eye contact with an American Alligator. Those dark bronze eyes set high up on the skull, lifeless and waiting for any unsuspecting animal to wander close enough to its trap-like jaws, clenched shut and armed with nearly 80 teeth. A single bite from this animal is powerful enough to crush bone.

      We were in awe… and he was incredible. A Godzilla of ancient proportions, he was nearly ten feet in length and around 300 pounds. This was exactly the encounter I had been dreaming of all day!

      “This is it! Here we go!” I cried out, as my confident voice became the first sound to break the frozen tension.

      Mark looked at Chance; they both looked at Mario.

      “Coyote’s got this, I know he does!” Mario convinced them with a simple statement without an ounce of hesitation in his voice. In that instant Mark began to direct the team. Chance got into position a safe distance from the reptile and the cameras began to roll. This was my moment. I took a deep breath, and then Mark called, “ACTION!”

      I slowly moved in on the Alligator; he was dead still, and might as well have been a rotting log, exhibiting the perfect camouflage for an ambush predator. In fact, it was almost impossible to tell the animal was alive until I got within about 15 feet and he suddenly released a guttural bellow, signaling us that he was there and that we had better not mistake him for anything but the king of the Everglades. I stopped dead in my tracks as he slowly opened his mouth, revealing a massive snag of tooth-lined jaws. My eyes widened in awe as I turned back to the camera.

      “The American Alligator has one of the most powerful bite forces on the planet, clocking in at almost 2,000 pounds per square inch, combined with the ability to thrash its powerful neck and body; which pretty much means that if this animal grabs ahold of you, whatever it has bitten… you will not be getting back!”

      I returned my attention to the reptile and began my advance. Just a single step forward and the beast erupted with a violent thrash of its long muscular tail. WHOOSH! A wave of water sent us all staggering backward, Mark and Chance dodging the splash in a serious effort to keep the cameras dry from the deluge.

      “WOW! Did you get that on camera?” I screamed.

      The alligator was now in full defense mode as I bravely moved forward, testing its lunging ability. With arms outstretched, giving it a visual distraction, I sidestepped the scaled defender as it hissed and exposed its flat white tongue. Looking down toward its throat, I could only imagine how terrifying it would be to find myself being swallowed by an animal of this magnitude. Though fear not; alligators have no interest in eating humans and most attacks come from a case of mistaken identity. Under normal circumstances, these aquatic reptiles primarily feast on fish, turtles, small mammals, and birds, and while I certainly didn’t fear being eaten, a bite from this animal could easily take my arm or crush my leg. There was no question about it, this was becoming the most dangerous animal encounter I had ever faced. I may as well have been gazing into the throat of a Tyrannosaur!