Cape couple spots gator in canal

CAPE CORAL, Fla. Vito Romano and his wife had the scare of their lives when they came within feet of an 8-foot alligator this weekend.

The couple spotted the reptile lurking near their home on the 400 block of Northwest 36th Avenue.

“Then I saw he broke the surface, and he came swimming toward me and his whole body came out of the water,” Romano said. “Very impressive.”

More that 1.3 million gators are estimated to be roaming the state right now, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.

Just last month, a string of alligator attacks happened across Southwest Florida. The latest happened in Port Charlotte when a homeless man was
bathing in a retention pond.

Romano and his wife are taking this incident as a learning moment, to keep their eyes peeled when heading out on the water.

“That was the first words out of her (his wife) mouth, the kayaks are gone,” he said.

There are no ordinances against swimming in canals, but it is not recommended, city officials said.