BONITA SPRINGS, Fla. (WSVN) — Here’s something you don’t expect to see while at the beach: an alligator going for a swim.
That’s the sight that greeted visitors at a beach near Bonita Springs in Lee County on Monday.
“Rare alligator sighting today at the Island!” Captain Jessica DeGraw of Island Time Dolphin and Shelling Cruises, Inc. posted on the cruise company’s Instagram page.
The video shows the gator swimming in the water before coming ashore on Big Hickory Island.
“First time I’ve ever seen it on Big Hickory Preserve,” DeGraw told Fox 13.
It’s rare to see alligators in the ocean since they are freshwater animals, according to NOAA.
“There are many things you may encounter when swimming in the ocean. Alligators probably aren’t one of them,” the agency said on its website. “While alligators can tolerate salt water for a few hours or even days, they are primarily freshwater animals, living in swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.”
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