Beachgoers in Hillsborough, Florida got quite the surprise when an unusual visitor washed ashore – a large alligator. The reptilian interloper caused a stir as it swam along the beach near condos and homes in the area just north of the Northeast 14th Street Bridge.
See the Video Here
Many had to do a double-take at first when spotting the unmistakable gator silhouette in the ocean waves. While alligators are a common sight in Florida’s marshes, rivers, and wetlands like the Everglades, it’s not every day one turns up on the beach.
“We were like, is that a crocodile? Is that an alligator? What is that?” recalled one newsroom account of watching the bizarre scene unfold via Chopper 6 footage. Nearby residents came out of their homes to get a look, while some beachgoers excitedly snapped photos of the surprising wildlife encounter.
However, not everyone was thrilled by the gator’s appearance. “One man told me his wife was in their condo in the bed underneath the covers, she was that scared,” said a reporter on the scene.
The Alligator Gets Captured
Fortunately, the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office and Florida Fish and Wildlife officials were quickly able to coordinate and safely capture the alligator after 15-20 minutes. Experts suspect the gator didn’t mean to end up in the ocean at all, but rather got turned around in a canal or waterway and took a wrong turn that landed it in the surf.
“If you see an alligator in the ocean, just understand it’s taken a wrong turn somewhere. It doesn’t mean to be in the ocean,” advised one wildlife expert. “The alligator is just trying to figure out how to get back to fresh water.”
After its ocean adventure, the displaced gator was relocated back to its typical home territory in the Everglades area of Florida. Most beachgoers remained relaxed about the incident, understanding that while uncommon, alligator encounters can happen in a state with over 1 million of the reptiles. As long as the gator was safely removed, they looked forward to getting back in the water soon after their surprise guest was sent on its way.
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