Alligator having beach day surprises patrol looking for sea turtles, Texas photos show
Sand, surf and seashells are what you expect to find on a Texas beach, so when a scaly beast shows up, it makes waves.
An alligator had itself a beach day on Bolivar Peninsula, a 27-mile stretch of coastline northeast of Galveston, according to the Gulf Center for Sea Turtle Research.
A group with the center was patrolling for sea turtles in the morning on April 4 and were surprised to stumble across the alligator lounging in the sand, the center said in a Facebook post.
Where did it come from? Why is it here? Only the gator knows.
“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,” the post said. “March through May is the alligator’s peak time for breeding and nesting.”
Beach visitors came across the gator as well, video shared in the Bolivar Beachcombers Facebook group shows. In the video, a woman gets within a few yards of the alligator, which then decides to lumber in the opposite direction at a very leisurely pace.
Many were surprised, even concerned, to see an alligator at the beach. Others admired the gator’s laid back energy, its carefree vibe.
“What a cool dude!” one commenter wrote.
“Sweet boy. He just needed a little beach time,” wrote another.
While it’s unusual to see an alligator on the beach, it is known to happen from time to time, McClatchy News reported. Alligators don’t enjoy the surf, experts say, but they sometimes wind up near the sea by getting lost or washed away by severe weather.
However, some researchers say alligators may be more comfortable with saltwater environments than is generally thought.
They don’t have the salt glands of their crocodile cousins — a necessary adaptation for living in saltwater — but they do like to visit the sea, especially right after a full or new moon, researchers say. Known as spring tides, the period after a full or new moon sees extreme shifts between high and low tides, which displaces prey like fish and crustaceans, making them easier to catch and eat.
Simply put, gators go where the food is, researchers say, adding that other factors like temperature and precipitation also play a role in gator movements and whether they will or won’t head to the beach.
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