Surf’s up? 5-foot alligator joined Hilton Head beachgoers on Memorial Day
Hilton Head Island’s beaches attracted more than just the usual human visitors on Memorial Day.
One of them had sharp teeth, scaly skin and a somewhat menacing smile.
A five-foot-long alligator was swimming along the shoreline just south of Alder Lane Beach Park on Hilton Head’s south end.
The alligator, last seen swimming south toward Sea Pines, was discovered around 8:30 a.m. on Monday. Part-time resident Thom Ingram, who took photos of the gator, said a handful of people stopped to watch the reptile, but no one was swimming nearby.
Ingram, who hails from Pennsylvania, said seeing alligators on Hilton Head is “always a thrill.”
Hilton Head beach lifeguards see about one alligator in the ocean each month during the summer, according to Mike Wagner of Shore Beach Service.
An alligator was also spotted in the surf near Tower Beach in Sea Pines April 11.
Kate Knisley, who shared a video of the alligator with The Island Packet, said Shore Beach lifeguards cleared the beach, and she kept her young daughter out of the water for several days after seeing that gator.
Can alligators live in the ocean near Hilton Head?
Hilton Head and the surrounding area have had an active alligator mating season, but alligators typically don’t stay in salt water for long.
“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,” according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Ingram said the gator appeared to be healthy and not injured.
Beachgoers on Hilton Head’s south end have had at least one other wildlife visitor in recent weeks.
Last week, a stretch of beach near Coligny was cleared for about 30 minutes after a large Blacktip Shark was spotted in shallow water.
No one encountered the shark in the water, but video from the beach shows the shark swimming and flipping around the change of the tide on Monday.
This story was originally published May 26, 2020 at 1:54 PM.
