iStockphoto / Nilanka Sampath
Alligators do not do well in saltwater. They can last in saltwater for anywhere from a few hours to a few days (at most) but they need freshwater in order to survive so despite there being an estimated 1.25 million alligators in the state of Florida it is quite rare to see them at or near the beach.
One large alligator was spotted swimming in the surf off Park Shore Beach in Naples, Florida. It’s a very rare sight to see a gator out in the water just vibing like this. It is also worth mentioning how vulnerable to predators (sharks) the alligator is when its floating in the Gulf of Mexico like this.
Video footage of the alligator at Park Shore Beach in Naples has gone viral on TikTok (and Facebook):
The top comment on the post says “it’s a Florida rule, if there’s a body of water there’s a gator in it” which feels like it came from someone who used to visit their salty granddad in South Florida back in the day. It’s almost correct but still so far from the truth.
Alligators simply do not tolerate saltwater. They can pass through on their way to more freshwater but that’s about it. I’ma born-and-raised Floridian and I preach proper safety whenever in the water but one thing you really don’t need to worry about 99.9999999% of the time in Florida at the beach is an alligator.
Now, in Florida we do have American crocodiles who live in the saltwater. They are located primarily in the Florida Everglades and into the Upper Keys. They look very similar to alligators but with longer and more narrow snouts. American crocodiles can also grow larger than alligators.
Be sure to watch out for crocs in certain areas but alligators at the beach?! It’s an incredibly rare occurrence here in Florida no matter what some anonymous person says in a comment section on the Internet.