Gator Marsh

Who's afraid of alligators? Although you might think they look scary, alligators are really very fascinating creatures! Learn all about the endangered Chinese Alligator at the Gator Marsh! This magnificent creature has come all the way from the Yangtze River to teach you about what fun animals they really are! The Chinese Alligator is historically associated with the mythical Chinese dragon. Local people used to refer to them as the 'earth dragons', and believed these 'dragons' had a special ability to call for rain. Some farmers even used the alligator's roar to predict the amount of rainfall for that season! Although Chinese Alligators live to the ripe old age of 50 years in the wild, habitat loss and illegal hunting for medicinal use have made them extremely rare. See these 'dragons' at Ocean Park to find out more about their habits and how we can help save them from extinction!