My Favorite Florida: Author Lisa Unger hatched a gator in her hand
Welcome to My Favorite Florida, a weekly feature from the Tampa Bay Times where fascinating people - artists, influencers, civic leaders and others shaping Florida's culture - share their favorite pieces of Florida culture.
Lisa Unger is the New York Times bestselling author of 23 novels. Her latest, "Served Him Right," came out in March. In the novel, a celebratory post-breakup brunch takes a dark turn when a woman learns of her ex-boyfriend's shocking fate and becomes the prime suspect.
Unger lives on Florida's west coast and currently serves as co-president of the International Thriller Writers organization. Unger got in touch to share three pieces of Florida culture she loves.
Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Swamp Walk: During the drive home to Clearwater from a lost weekend in South Beach, my husband and I stopped at iconic photographer Clyde Butcher's Big Cypress Gallery. We hoped to buy some art. Instead, our impromptu visit coincided with Butcher's once yearly Swamp Walk. Wildly unprepared but always game for a new adventure, we followed our able guide, wading through the crystal-clear water of the everglades. Prior to our visit, I always thought of the swamp as dark and dangerous - which naturally it is. But it's also one of the most peaceful, beautiful places I've ever seen.
An Alligator Egg: Alligators get a bad rap. For good reason; if you stumble upon a hungry one, you're most likely not going to walk away from that encounter. But when my daughter was in grade school, we took her for a road trip to Palmdale's Gatorama. At the yearly hatching festival, we watched in awe as baby alligators emerged from eggs we held in our palms. One little claw, then a snout, then this perfect little creature just sitting in my hands. It was a truly magical reminder that even the fiercest among us were babies once, too. The encounter finished with a serving of Granny's Alligator Chili. A very Florida circle of life moment.
Sharks off of Sand Key Beach: I booked a charter boat to take a group of friends out fishing for sharks. This event occurred during a year when storms had forced migrating black tips off their usual route, pushing them close to shore. We left from Clearwater Marina. I thought we were headed to deep waters. Instead, we stopped just a few hundred yards off Sand Key beach. Between the six of us, we reeled in multiple black tips. With a little help (OK, a lot of help), I caught my first fish, a 4-foot hammerhead. Naturally, we threw him back. Nobody who swims regularly in the Gulf needs that kind of karma.
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This story was originally published May 12, 2026 at 2:29 PM.