As Florida gets pounded by rain for the third day straight, the 20 + inches of rain dropped on the sunshine state is starting to starting to have an effect on airport operations.

Flooding and generally soaked conditions near the Melbourne International Airport resulted in a slew of confused animals wandering through the grounds thinking that fields were wetland -- two gopher tortoises, four walking catfish, an alligator and a blue indigo snake so far, to be exact.

While doing routine checks at the airport, inspectors discovered the creatures and were forced to delay at least one Delta Airlines inbound aircraft as they cleared the tarmac. According to the airport's executive director, "The tortoises were moved to the airport's designated gopher tortoise relocation area [while] the walking catfish and snake were tossed back into a nearby pond. The gator wanted no part of the action and scampered back into a drainage ditch"

Ah, the Gopher Tortoise Relocation Area. Many a heady night have I spent in the GTRA (as we regulars call it), drunk, flipping over Tortoises and playing red rover with the locals. I miss the days of unbridled tortise racing, binge drinking and catfish baseball at the Melbourne Airport -- now all we have left is a small relocation area, a crate full of old photos and a vial full of unicorn tears to remember the past.

Filed under: Airports