I drove it both ways in May 2018. I remember being fairly well impressed. Lots of gators laying on the banks of the canals.
Lots of dead , roadkill gators on I75.

I drove it one way. West to East late last week.
Nothing.
We couldn't even see the canals for most of the ride.
I assume it was the summer foliage that blocked it?
Either way, it was a disappointment.

the result of the python invasion.

The sides will be more overgrown in the summer.  I also think they don't maintain it as much as they used to.  Take 41 across and you drive right next to a canal for most of the way.

After they put up the gator fences, down went their maintenance as they cannot get to it.

Many years ago I had a police scanner.

A car would go into the canal and the cops would call a diver.

There were many "nopes" on the scanner at night.

Around this time it rains non stop so there's stupid amounts of foliage around. I drive the alley a lot but I see more gators taking 41 usually.

Gators are cold blooded. In the summer, they spend most of their time in the water.

When it is cooler, they will sun themselves. Both days.

ETA: I reread your OP. May is also mating season, so they tend to mosey about. Why did the Gator cross the road? To get some tail!!

Heh, you ain't seen nothing till you take a Jetski down the Kissimmee River. South of second lock from Lake Kissimmee.

I have "We're gonna need a bigger boat" going through my head constantly.

Maybe I was just not paying attention. I drove that stretch for 2 years at least once a month & never saw anything but troopers & cars.

Hate driving it. FHP must give out prizes to whomever gives the most daily citations. It's even more boring than driving 19 past Crystal River or 98 West of Perry.

Saw the biggest, baddest gator in my. 61 years of Florida living there.
My buddy and I drew a hunt on a Management area on the Kissimmee River named Kicco.

Accessible only by boat at the time.

Being young and ambitious, we loaded bicycles into my antiquated 13 foot wood boat with its 5hp 1955 Johnson. to go have a look at the place prior to the hunt.

We chugged down river an hour, found the canal that marked the northern boundary of Kicco, ran up it a ways and beached the boat.

In the canal, in the weeds, spotted a heifer, 3-400 lb, bloated and bobbing in the weeds, wondered what had killed it.

Had a great day scouting, saw a lot of game, made it back to the boat at dark.

Chugging down the canal, we spot a big wake in the moonlight up ahead.

Neither of us uttered a word as we slowly overtook a giant Alligator swimming with that cow in his mouth.

I would swear to you he was longer than my boat.

Never were there two more relieved fellas than us when we had safely put that gator behind us .

Try driving from East to West late on a warm sunny morning and wait until you get past miccosukee service plaza and into Big Cypress (in Collier county) and look to the (north) side of the alley, you will see more gators than you can count.

So which is alligator alley? East-west section of I75 or east-west section of Tamiami (41)?
I have been told both.
When I cross the state I take 41. Far more scenic and doesn't have that Mad Max traffic feel. Also dumps me out below Miami so I can avoid that mess when heading down to the keys.

It’s now the East-west section of I75 . It was there before I 75 was built . They even had signs back then saying Alligator Alley with a alligator standing there with his thumb out trying to hitch a ride .

Loop road

East from Naples on 41.

Take a right at Monroe station.

Just came back. First 4 miles are rrrrrough.

Al Capone lived on Loop Road on the Mikkosukee village side down by the pond.

On the loop road.

Attached File

Cool.