Surfing gator seen relaxing
There are plenty of alligators in Alabama. But how many enjoy a day at the beach?
One such unlikely critter was spotted riding the waves recently on Dauphin Island, bobbing calmly near the human beachgoers sunbathing and wading.
Matt Harvill, a 27-year-old Mobile resident, came across the lengthy gator on May 7 while at the beach taking pregnancy announcement photos with his girlfriend.
He said the reptile seemed to be enjoying the sun and gently breaking waves, attracting several beachgoers to get a closer look — but not too close.
“It didn’t hiss, charge or open its mouth at all,” Harvill said. “It seemed like it was kind of spectating and seeing what was going on.”
Harvill snapped photos and videos of the gator to show family and friends. His post on Facebook garnered 3,000 shares.
“The things you never think you’ll see,” he wrote in the caption. “First time seeing a gator on Dauphin Island. Heading towards the west end be careful y’all.”
Alligators are found throughout Alabama in saltwater bayous and estuaries, said Marianne Gauldin, outreach coordinator for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“It is not unusual to see them in the Gulf of Mexico as they can tolerate a variety of salinity levels,” she said in an email. “They are aquatic and cover long distances as they forage for prey items.”
Harvill said he’s seen things like jellyfish or a dark fin slicing through the Gulf waters, but never an alligator.
“I didn’t want to step foot in the water after that!” he said.
Beatrice Dupuy, The Associated Press
“The things you never think you’ll see,” he wrote in the caption. “First time seeing a gator on Dauphin Island. Heading towards the west end be careful y’all.”
Alligators are found throughout Alabama in saltwater bayous and estuaries, said Marianne Gauldin, outreach coordinator for the Alabama Department of Conservation and Natural Resources.
“It is not unusual to see them in the Gulf of Mexico as they can tolerate a variety of salinity levels,” she said in an email. “They are aquatic and cover long distances as they forage for prey items.”
Harvill said he’s seen things like jellyfish or a dark fin slicing through the Gulf waters, but never an alligator.
“I didn’t want to step foot in the water after that!” he said.
Beatrice Dupuy, The Associated Press
Tuesday, May 16, 2023
THE REASON WHY THE GATOR WAS BASKING
Gators hit the beaches in the Gulf Coast during breeding season
WWLTV May 16, 2023
This time of year, beaches along the Mississippi Gulf Coast are filled with people enjoying the sun, sand and surf.
Saturday, visitors in Waveland shared the beach with an unusual visitor: a six-to-seven-foot alligator.
Chef Kevin Belton from WWL-TV spotted the gator while walking his dogs along the water.
“Saturday morning, we were walking on the beach in Waveland and all of a sudden, I’m like, wait is that a trash bag, is that a log,” Belton said. “As we got a little closer, I realized it was an alligator, sunning itself.”
Just last week, a picture of a large alligator on the west end of Dauphin Island beach in Alabama went viral.
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