| Porthole 23 Sep 22

CRUISE ships offer lots of water-based activities, but here’s one that hopefully will never be seen on board.

A water park in Illinois, USA has marked the end of the summer by giving an exclusive experience to one last visitor – a 39-year-old alligator.

Splash Cove in the city of Decatur features a meandering “lazy river,” and welcomed the season’s final reptilian rider (pictured) in a joint promotion with the nearby Scovill Zoo.

Officials noted that it had been a few weeks since the last human guests at the water park, allowing the water’s chlorine to dissipate enough to make it safe for the reptile’s quick swim.