St. Augustine Alligator Farm Webcam – Gators in the Lagoon

The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Webcam looks down on Alligator Lagoon, the shallow pool at the center of a Florida zoological park that opened in 1893. American alligators lie half submerged in the green water or stretch out on the sand banks, sometimes several at a time, and the camera sits close enough that the ridged tails and the shape of each jaw are easy to pick out. Wading birds use the same water. The park rookery stands in the trees above the lagoon, so the frame can hold reptiles and birds at once. Through the day the light shifts on the water and the number of animals hauled out on the bank changes with it.

About the St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The park sits at 999 Anastasia Boulevard on Anastasia Island, on the barrier island side of the Matanzas River from the old town. It opened on May 20, 1893, which makes it one of the oldest continuously operating attractions in Florida, though the first site was down on St. Augustine Beach and the collection moved to the present grounds in the early 1920s. The whole place covers a little over 2.8 hectares (7 acres), so the lagoon, the boardwalks and the exhibit buildings sit close together.

Reptiles are the reason most people come through the gate. The collection holds 24 species of crocodilians, and in 1993 this became the first place in the world to display every living crocodilian species at the same time. American alligators are the ones filling the lagoon the camera watches. Chance the Snapper, an American alligator, is among the animals kept here, and a Komodo dragon facility that opened in 2008 added lizards and snakes from Southeast Asia.

The grounds were listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places on September 10, 1992, and the park has held accreditation from the Association of Zoos and Aquariums since 1989. Above the water sits the rookery, a stand of trees that wild wading birds come into on their own to nest. Egrets, herons, wood storks and roseate spoonbills all use it. That rookery was expanded with the cooperation of the Florida Audubon Society, and the birds in it are unconfined rather than part of the collection. The St. Augustine Alligator Farm Webcam therefore shows a different mix of animals from one season to the next.

Weather and Climate in St. Augustine

This stretch of coast has a humid subtropical climate, the Koppen Cfa type, which means no dry season and a long warm shoulder on either side of summer. January is the coolest month, with highs near 19 C (66 F) and lows near 8 C (46 F). Cold snaps drop below that for a day or two at a time, and on bright cool mornings the alligators tend to haul out onto the sand and lie still in the sun, which is when the bank looks busiest on camera.

Summer runs hot and heavy with moisture. July and August highs sit around 32 C (90 F) with overnight lows near 23 C (73 F), and the air stays uncomfortably humid from June through September. Afternoon thunderstorms build fast in those months, so the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Webcam can turn from flat sunlight to heavy rain dimpling the lagoon inside half an hour. Hurricane season runs from June through November. Spring is the easier half of the year, warm and sunny without the worst of the humidity, and autumn slides from about 31 C (88 F) in early September down to around 14 C (57 F) by late November.

Things to Do Near the St. Augustine Alligator Farm

The St. Augustine Lighthouse stands about 400 meters (0.25 miles) north of the park on the same island, its 1874 tower rising over the tree line. Anastasia State Park is about 1.2 kilometers (0.8 miles) east and fronts the Atlantic with beach and dune trails. Back at the park itself, a zip line course is strung above the exhibits, looking down on the crocodilian pools rather than across them.

Across the Matanzas River, the old town holds most of the city’s other landmarks. Castillo de San Marcos, the fort on the bayfront and now a National Monument, stands about 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) northwest. The Bridge of Lions crosses the river about 2.1 kilometers (1.3 miles) away and is the direct route between Anastasia Island and the historic district. St. George Street, the pedestrian spine of the old town, runs north from the plaza past colonial-era buildings and shops.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

More cameras from the same stretch of the Florida coast, plus another zoo feed from further afield:

• St. Augustine Lighthouse Webcam
• St. George Street Webcam
• Castillo de San Marcos Webcam
• Budapest Zoo Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm located?

The park is at 999 Anastasia Boulevard on Anastasia Island, in St. Augustine, St. Johns County, Florida. It sits across the Matanzas River from the historic district, about 2.8 kilometers (1.7 miles) southeast of Castillo de San Marcos and roughly 400 meters (0.25 miles) south of the St. Augustine Lighthouse.

What can you see on the St. Augustine Alligator Farm Webcam?

The camera looks over Alligator Lagoon, a shallow pool with sand and concrete banks where American alligators float, bask and move between water and land. Birds from the rookery above drop into the same frame, and a feeding platform and boardwalk rail sit at the edge of the shot.

What is the weather like in St. Augustine?

Humid subtropical. January highs are near 19 C (66 F) with lows near 8 C (46 F), while July and August reach about 32 C (90 F) with lows near 23 C (73 F). Humidity is heaviest from June to September, when afternoon thunderstorms are common, and hurricane season runs June through November.

How many crocodilian species live at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm?

Twenty four. In 1993 the park became the first place in the world to exhibit every living species of crocodilian at the same time.

Which birds nest at the St. Augustine Alligator Farm rookery?

Egrets, herons, wood storks and roseate spoonbills all nest in the trees over the lagoon. They are wild birds rather than part of the collection, and the rookery was expanded with the cooperation of the Florida Audubon Society.

How old is the St. Augustine Alligator Farm?

It opened on May 20, 1893, making it one of the oldest continuously operating attractions in Florida. The collection moved to its present grounds on Anastasia Island in the early 1920s, and the site was listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places on September 10, 1992.

Does the Alligator Farm camera stream at night?

The feed runs around the clock, so the player stays live after dark, but the lagoon reads clearly only in daylight. Florida keeps Eastern time, four hours behind UTC in summer and five hours behind in winter, so plan viewing around daytime hours there.

Source: See St. Augustine