Baby alligator rescued from ocean in Surfside Beach

SURFSIDE BEACH, SC (WMBF) - There was an unexpected visitor at Surfside Beach over the weekend.

Beachgoers found a baby alligator on Saturday afternoon along the shoreline. WMBF News viewers said a swimmer picked up the alligator to bring it out of the ocean. A crew with The Snake Chaser was called in to relocate the reptile.

Rebecca Thomas, a curator at Ripley’s Aquarium, says a variety of reasons may cause an alligator to retreat to salt water.

“They could be searching for food,” she said. “They could be trying to rid themselves of parasites”.

Thomas said the most likely reason, however, is by accident.

“We’ve had some rain recently so water levels may have risen,” she said. “The barrier between saltwater and freshwater are less defined so it’s possible they got washed out with the rain”.

Russell Cavender, an alligator rescuer from Snake Chaser, has rescued nearly 40 alligators from the ocean. While he says this phenomenon is not uncommon, with receiving about five to 10 calls each year, there’s no need to worry about getting hurt.

“[The alligator is] not in any mood to be a threat to people,” he said. “He just wants to find his way out of that nasty saltwater. They’re used to fresh water.”

Cavender says alligators are naturally found in freshwater ponds, rivers, and streams. He added they should not be disturbed in these spaces.

“There’s very, very few people who get attacked by [alligators],” he said. “Most of the time when people get attacked by an alligator, it’s elderly people or someone swimming in water they shouldn’t be.”

If you see an alligator, Thomas says to call the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources. She added you should not feed, approach, or engage with the animal.

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