It looks like humans aren’t the only beings who like to catch some waves. An alligator was spotted by a beachgoer riding the waves and enjoying the sun at an Alabama beach.
Matt Harvill spotted the unlikely critter bobbing calmly in the water as human beachgoers sunbathed and waded nearby. The 27-year-old Mobile resident, came across the lengthy gator on May 7, 2023, while at the beach taking pregnancy announcement photos with his girlfriend.
“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 made sure to snap some photos and videos of the gator to show friends and family. He also posted those images on Facebook, garnering 3,000 shares in the process.
“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 can be found all throughout Alabama in saltwater bayous and estuaries. While it’s quite uncommon, it’s not unusual to see them in the Gulf of Mexico enjoying the water.
Harvill has never seen an alligator in the Gulf before, only things like jellyfish or a dark fin. “I didn’t want to step foot in the water after that!” he said.