Alligators are visitors from another time, out of place in our modern, urban lives. Yet they exist. Observing an alligator seems like watching a statue. They lay still for hours moving only to breathe and blink, and then when spotting prey, suddenly lunge forward at speeds in excess of 30 miles per hour. Of all the animals that can be seen throughout the Barataria Preserve, the species that attracts the most attention is the American alligator.