Mickey names Wahoo after a professional wrestler. Wahoo is the young teenage protagonist of the narrative, and his family dynamics represent a throwback to a time when kids roamed free without extensive adult supervision, relying upon their own ingenuity to see them through each challenge. While Wahoo’s home environment is inherently dangerous, the boy views his life among alligators and other captive wildlife as perfectly natural. Without the independence that his parents’ laissez-faire style of supervision inspires, he would never develop the skills necessary to survive his ordeal in the Everglades. More than once, Wahoo is called upon to act as the adult in both social situations and life-or-death predicaments. Early in the narrative, Wahoo is shown to have far more financial sense than his father, and he is better able to assess and avoid risky situations. He therefore serves as the intellect that curbs his father’s impulsiveness.

Despite his resourcefulness, however, Wahoo is still a child in many ways. For example, he behaves awkwardly around Tuna, often saying the wrong thing, and his lack of life experiences renders him utterly aghast when he learns of her father’s abuse.