Bay Lake & Seven Seas Lagoon Swimming??

[eroller]

It's been quite a few years since I've been to WDW, and I've been reading that swimming is no longer allowed in Bay Lake and Seven Seas Lagoon.

I'm just curious why this is no longer safe, and was it really safe when swimming was allowed? As a child, I loved swimming in the lakes from the beaches of the Contemporary and Polynesian Village hotels. I'm curious just when this was stopped, and for what reason?

Also, is water skiing still allowed, and if so, do you have to wear a wet suit since in essence you will be swimming in the lake?

One last question! Since River Country is really part of Bay Lake, is this the reason it was closed.... due to unsafe swimming conditions in the lake?

Ok... I lied... one more! I remember when fishing was also allowed in Bay Lake from FW. I believe Disney stocked the lakes with fish when they were originally drained, cleaned, and refilled (also making Seven Seas Lagoon in the process out of a swamp). Are there still fish in the lake, and is fishing still allowed (of course I know you always have to throw the fish back.... as least this was the rule in the past)?

Thanks so much for all your help with these questions. I'm really impressed with all the WDW knowledge on this board!

Best regards,
Ernie Roller
Atlanta

 

[JohnD]

Sources please

I think it's a matter of perception. Humans invaded their space so they made themselves scarce as they had plenty of other areas to roam. They were also endangered for a while--don't know specific dates. They aren't now. With more development and gators no longer endangered they find themselves intermingled with humans more often. Combine that with feeding them...

 

[Electricsoup]

Sources please

A 2 second Google search would have given you multiple, but here's the first one that came up.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...m-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/

 

[kelknight84]

A 2 second Google search would have given you multiple, but here's the first one that came up.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news...m-extinction-then-moved-into-their-territory/

And it says this-"There is some debate as to how close the alligator came to extinction, given how quickly the population has ballooned in just two decades. Population estimates were based on hides, but it’s generally accepted that widespread, unregulated hunting and the demand for hides greatly depleted alligator populations in the Southeast during the first half of the 20th century. "

This was a fun quote too-"Humans are more likely to be killed by cows or dogs than by an alligator."

 

[morningstar]

I don't buy the theory that "There are no alligators. These are not natural lakes." In the South, alligators turn up from time to time in ponds on golf courses. They don't care if it's a man-made lake or surrounded by civilization.

I think it's kind of a shame that they're prohibiting swimming. This happened once in almost half a century. If one or two people get attacked by sharks at the coast, do they close down the beach permanently? There should be proper warnings of the risks and let people make their own decisions.

 

[Mark_in_FL]

There is a simple rule of thumb in the south. If the water has fish, it has alligators. Otherwise, check first anyway. Alligators are quite mobile between bodies of water and end up in all sorts of places, including pools.

That said, actual attacks are quite rare and the vast majority involve people being somewhere they should not be. Alligators almost always avoid people when they can and most that don't have been fed by people. There are the EXTREMELY rare "out of the blue" attacks that cannot be explained by their natural behavior or the circumstances. They are autonomous, independent animals and as such are subject to individual variation. Also, we cannot always know the history of any given alligator.