Orlando vacation tips by Orlandosfinest.com

One of the most distinctive animals of Florida is the alligator and if you are visiting Orlando, you can get close to these critters, learn more them and have a lot of fun by visiting Gatorland.

Gatorland is a 110 acre theme park and wildlife preserve. It started out as a small roadside exhibit in 1949 and has grown to a state of the art theme park which proudly calls itself “The alligator capital of the world.” Gatorland was founded by the late Owen Godwin and it is still a family-run business today.

The park of course features alligators but it is also home to other attractions as well including crocodiles, an aviary, a breeding marsh, a petting zoo, a nature walk, educational wildlife programs, a gift shop and the Gator Gully Splash Park.

Gatorland is not just one of the many theme parks in Orlando rather it is one of the pioneers of tourist attractions in Central Florida. Although it was officially founded in 1949, it really dates back to the 1930s when Godwin’s father built an alligator pit in his backyard and his mother sold alligator related trinkets to shoppers from the family’s store. After the war the park started in earnest with a 16 acre plot that has grown to the present 110 park.

There is also some serious science being done at Gatorland in addition to all the fun and entertainment. Gatorland is the only place worldwide where alligators have been artificially inseminated successfully. Captive alligators are normally troubled by disease, infertility and death as embryos, but Gatorland along with the University of Florida have developed new techniques for breeding alligators, incubating eggs and providing the kind of an environment where the alligators can thrive.

Alligators are not the only attraction here; their larger cousins the crocodiles also have a place of honor in the attraction called “Jungle Crocs of the World.” This two-acre display houses one of the world's largest exhibits of giant crocodiles in captivity. The Jungle Crocs' natural design allows the animals to grow more than 20 ft. long and weigh more than a ton. While one can rarely get to see crocodiles in the wild, this unprecedented exhibit features the word's most ferocious predators bursting from the water and chasing their startled prey onto the land.

In addition to the gators and crocodiles, Gatorland is home to thousands of aquatic birds, birds nesting above the marsh. Alligators protect the nests from natural predators, like raccoons and opossums and Gatorland is one of the few places worldwide where visitors can watch, at close distances, endangered wading birds build nests and feed their young.

For the past ten years the park has actually become a 110 acre “classroom” with an expanded education program offering classes on crocodilians, wading birds, snakes and Florida swamplands.

Gatorland is located at 14501 South Orange Blossom Trail, Orlando, FL 32837 and you can reach them on telephone at 407.855.5496 or call toll free 800.393.JAWS

Gatorland is one of the iconic, must-not-miss attractions of Orlando and a visit there makes a great half-day outing for the entire family.

Mark Whichard is an Orlando tourism expert and writes frequently about attractions in and around Orlando. He and his wife Susan are the proprietors of Orlando's Finest Vacation Homes and you can get great deals on Orlando Vacation Homes at this website Orlando's Finest Vacation Homes