This area never ceases to amaze me. There is an alligator on the beach at the Spooky Lane beach access right now. He is swimming, surfing and every once in a while he comes out. WCS is on the scene keeping spectators far away and the trapper is supposedly on the way. Here are some pics I took.

Cheers, Geo

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OMC! Geo, you are the man on the scene! Keep us updated!!!

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Why is the trapper on the way? Did he try to eat someone?

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The enemy is ignorance.

Doesn't he need to be put back where he would be happier?

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How cool Geo! Thanks for posting the pics!

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Get Outdoors!

He look pretty big! And yes he does need to be moved to a safer location.

Awesome post Geo! I have lived in Florida most of my life and have never heard of a surfing alligator. Maybe the locals have seen it before. Which is the closest dune lake?

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at least when it comes to the GATOR NATION

Thanks, Geo. Great pics. This is not the first time an alligator has been on the beach and won't be the last. Guess it is faster and easier traveling from coastal dune lake to coastal dune lake through the gulf than on Spring Break crowded Scenic 30A!

Great coverage Geo! How appropriate that the gator chose Spooky Lane!

The gator needs to be put back in freshwater. Unlike their Austrailian bretheren American alligators are not made for saltwater.

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I hope the gator enjoyed his vaca.

Cool pics Geo.

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One tequila, two tequila, three tequila...floor.

LOL..I remember a story about one that was on the beach near the Whales Tail several years ago. A man was interviewed that said his young daughter had asked him several times on the way here if there were gators on the beach and he assured her that they didnt go to the beach. He said he lost a few "brownie points" with her that day.

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WARNING: Things posted by this user may offend some people. All things posted above are the opinions of poster and not necessarily the opinions of this site..or anyone else for that matter. They might not even make sense or be suitable for children. Come to think of it, they might be unsuitable for adults or human consumption. Have a nice day.

Okay, now this really scares me. I'm not near as afraid of sharks as I am of alligators. He certainly looks like he's enjoying himself.

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Cool! Can you get a little closer?

Sometimes they go nuts during mating season. Either that or he's very hungy. Either way keep your distance. Gators rule Florida!

Ok which is it, do you want him to get closer or keep his distance?

Either eay Geo, you be careful, they are so fast, and we don't want you to become Gator bait, cool photos.

I am sure he needs to be moved for his own safety as well as curious humans.

I heard that there was a fairly large gator that lives in Draper Lake. I wonder if that is the same one?

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I heard that he was originally spotted closer to Draper yesterday around 4pm. Draper is the closest coastal dune lake to where I took the pics today so that might be where he decided to make his way into the Gulf. It was surreal watching him swim parallel to shore with his head above water. Some of the time he let the waves and current take him but when he swam he sure was fast! I'd estimate he was 6-7 feet from tip of tail to his snout.

So my friends. Fear not the sharks in the Gulf. The bears and gators swimming in its emerald waters are a far greater threat! hahaha You can't make this stuff up!

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So who would win in the gator vs shark fight??

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One tequila, two tequila, three tequila...floor.

TDC should look into putting up wayfinding signage for local gators to follow.

Surfing Alligator......BobbyJ, have you been teaching him a few things?

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Quit whining and RUN!!

Chuck Norris would kick both their arses!

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Last time I looked, Draper Lake was more like Draper Mud Pit. If it is that dry still, I can imagine that is why he made his way out to the Gulf or has been doing it to get food. I heard the gator was at least 6 ft in Draper.

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Alligator....

First alligator of season captured at Ed Walline Park | walline, alligator, captured - Local News - WaltonSun.com

FREE THAT ALLIGATOR, Oh yeah and Charles Barkley also!

So his love of seafood equates to a death sentence. Sad...

That's right I remember hearing about a bear that made his way to the gulf around PCB just last summer, right? Well, great photos!! Thanks for posting. I would've loved to see that first hand.

If he would only have survived a couple more days in the Gulf, why did we have to capture him - a death sentence if I read the article correctly?

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Geo -

Did it look like the alligator was "struggling in the riptide" like the article pointed out? Or is that just more messed up news?

Geez, I can't believe they gotta kill the thing. We used to vacation in Sanibel a long time ago, and there were gators on or right next to the beach pretty often. Most people just let them wander - really didn't pay them much attention after awhile.

I don't think alligators can "run" as fast in the beach sand, but then again people can't either .

At what point is the behavior considered part of micro evolution? Maybe we should let em surf......

Alligator captured on South Walton beach (with PHOTOS) | alligator, beach, johnson - News - Northwest Florida Daily News

Sounds like a sad fate for Mr Alligator, I sure wish he could just be relocated. Seems wrong to kill a gator for trying to expand his range to survive.

According the FWC:

Generally, alligators may be considered a nuisance when they are at least four feet in length and pose a threat to people or their pets or property. Alligators less than four feet in length are naturally fearful of people and are not generally capable of eating anything larger than a small turtle. They eat small fish, frogs, and other small animals. They are too small to be a threat to even small pets and pose no threat to people. They are typically not dangerous to people unless someone attempts to handle them. Also, they are common in Florida, and the mere presence of a small alligator is not cause for concern, even when they turn up in places where people may not expect to see them such as retention ponds and drainage ditches. However, occasionally alligators less than four feet in length are legitimate problems and must be addressed.

Some people would like the FWC to relocate nuisance alligators. While, in rare cases, the agency does allow for the relocation of alligators less than four feet in length, relocation of larger, problem alligators is not an effective solution. Relocation does not change the behavior that caused the alligator to be a nuisance, and relocated alligators frequently return to their capture site. As a result, these alligators would continue to pose a danger. Also, viable alligator populations exist in all suitable habitats in the state, making the relocation of alligators an unwarranted exercise from an ecological perspective. Relocation of wild animals can also facilitate the spread of disease.

Alligators commonly become a nuisance when they are fed by humans. Fed alligators lose their fear of people and can be dangerous. For this reason it is against the law in Florida to feed wild alligators or other wild crocodilians.

I too hate to see them destroyed but once a large one makes its way into areas frequented by humans, they really don't have much choice.

I thought salt water could mess up their eyes.......

But he wasn't being a nuisance from the reports - he was swimming in the gulf and in the waves. I didn't hear that he approached anyone, begged for food, etc.

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thanks for the pix Geo. poor gator dude. I am sorry he has to be bothered at all, but that's the way it is. would have loved being on the beach with you today but I may have screamed a coupla times.

Exactly but the problem will be the humans that are the nuisance to him and he is large enough to kill pets and possibly kill or seriously injure a child or even adult.

It is sad, it is a huge problem at Disney World, because the idiots that feed them and then they have to remove them and try to relocate but if they show up again and have to relocate them, they are usually destroyed.

So basically even if he minds his own business they will remove him and possibly kill him to prevent some idiot from getting too close.

how many times a year are alligators spoted on the beach on 30-a?grayton beach has beware of alligators sign near a dune lake.Has anyone ever heard of a gator attacking a person on 30-a?

While the county's putting up signs, maybe they can put some up around the lakes that say - Beware of People .

That's the same question I have had. This is my first time hearing of one. Maybe they should do more research or try to ascertain why the gator needed to go gulfing for food. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that it is probably the one that had been living at Draper Lake peacefully for quite some time. I've also never heard of them being a nuisance in our area,either. Killing it really irks me.

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Other than man attacking gator, I know of only one which happened in the Pandora's parking lot, but it started by a particular person trying to wrestle the gator.

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The truth is any gator over 4ft that is captured is killed. The trapper makes his money this way. They get to sell the hide and meat.

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"We can judge the heart of a man by his treatment of animals."

Geo, thanks for posting the pics. I'm sorry to hear of the fate of the poor guy. Maybe I missed something, but shouldn't there be a non-profit way to handle them and get them to a place where they can find food and live?

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DD, I toad you it was pucking hot.~~Kitty

Sheesh. The poor dude was just surfing. I know other folk over 4 ft. who will surf and alternately bum food off tourists or threaten to bite them, and nobody skins them and eats them.

It's not like he sat on a private beach or left his tent out there.

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Thank you. I think I could get really worked up over this, but alas, I'm all the way in Texas.

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DD, I toad you it was pucking hot.~~Kitty

The pictures of the surfing alligator made me so happy every time I thought of them today. I am so depressed to find out he's probably dead already.

I know.

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DD, I toad you it was pucking hot.~~Kitty

Ok, unless I was told some BS, which I hope not, according to the very nice officer answering calls at the WCSO dispatch the gator has been relocated.

Well, that's what I heard but I want pictures and updates as proof positive. A postcard would be a nice addition. But, the postcard is probably just as forthcoming as the relocation.

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A postcard from Mr. Gator? (That would be awesome.)

I'm with you, too, Punzy. Maybe I watched too much Crocodile Hunter, but I got a real kick out of the surfing Gator. I knew they were freshwater beasties, too, and that they can't hang out there long, but the article STILL reminded me of me--I get tired and my eyes get red from a long day in the ocean, too. I'm mildly allergic to seafood, but it's tasty on vacation.

I'm really not going to get all upset, but I was alarmed by the tying of his legs over his back, too. That looked awfully uncomfortable.

I'm also still not quite used to the fact that they're not endangered anymore. They're unique to our part of the world, and I hate to hear of them slaughtered.

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sounds like a s'breaker jumpin off a balcony.

Minnie, what they don't tell you is that the "relocation" is into someone's meat locker. Relocation should have been back to the watering hole in which the gator lived for several years, not bothering a sole -- most likely, Draper Lake or Alligator Lake.

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We owned a house in the SC lowcountry. Every once in a while a gator would come out of the marshes and swim along our beach. It was quite an interesting experience when you were out in the surf fishing and you look back to see a 6 foot alligator swimming bewtween you and the beach. I was told that they liked to get in the salt water when they had skin issues.

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Demetrios

This is an out rage that they would kill this beautiful creature. I am so ticked off at this report. Alligators generally keep to themselves. I have lived here my whole life and never have I feared an alligator. Save the surfing gator!!!

looks like he is having a good time

Yes they freaking do!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Take him back where he came from. They don't have to KILL HIM!!!!! This breaks my heart. I couldn't even look at the pictures without crying. Until I see proof that he is still alive I will not believe it. I don't care who anyone has talked to at the WCSO..they can tell you anything to appease you. What are we supposed to do KILL every aligator over 4ft long just because they were lucky enough to live long enough to grow larger. AND, we have made our way into areas frequented by Alligators!!!!! NOT the other way around in my opinion. OMG, I could go on and on...this is just heartbreaking to me!!!!

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I completely totally agree with you!!!!!!!!!!!!

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I know I don't get there often enough, but God knows I surely try, It's a magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe!

"was" having a good time. Probably a little freaked out that he couldn't find his way back to his watering hole. Not many places for a gator to climb off the beach over the dunes.

Sure, there is a need to temporarily alert the public for safety reasons, but to have to trap the gator to haul it away is a little extreme in my opinion, unless people have been feeding it and it was conditioned to relating people to food, as is the case with a couple other gators in our area.

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Here's an interesting article on FL gators.....EcoView-SHOULD WE KILL ALL THE ALLIGATORS

Do alligators ever leave freshwater lakes and rivers to go onto land or into the ocean?

A. Alligators leave drying freshwater habitats to travel overland during droughts, and males move between bodies of water in search of mates during the spring and to avoid confrontations with larger male alligators. Alligators will enter saltwater habitats on occasion and have even been found a mile or more out to sea. They do not live in the ocean but can tolerate saltwater for hours or even days without a problem.

Q. Are larger adult alligators more aggressive toward humans than smaller ones?
A. Adult females are smaller than the males and when guarding a nest or babies are often aggressive toward human intruders. They will come up on land with mouth open to chase a person away. Male alligators are aggressive toward smaller males during the mating season and perhaps other times, but I have never seen one be aggressive toward a person. Aside from parental protection by females, attacks on humans generally involve situations in which alligators have been fed by people and thus have developed atypical behavior.


They could have just let nature take it's course and watched the gator-- removing people from the beach as needed. Eventually, it would have made it's way back to one of the Lakes.

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Gee....I wonder if the killing of this alligator could have anything to do with tourism, namely the safety of our beaches?

Seems we've gotten a bad rap lately for all the "killer sand sharks"

I know a lot of yanks, and when they hear on the news about hurricanes, sharks, etc. - and then I hear their conversations later - they've got things totally blown out of proportion.

I can hear it now....Gator Beach, USA

What about the Nokuse Plantation? I am sure there is a place for him/her there! It just seems sensless to kill this alligator. We should respect the last of the dinosaurs. Save the surfing gator!

Ummm... I may be way off on this, but I wonder what will happen when unsuspecting tourists play on private beaches?? Will they share the same fate as this poor alligator??

My solution was to just herd him onto the "private beach" - until I realized he would definitely be trapped and kilt for having the audacity to be there!

Next idea was to give Fudpucker's a BIG gator!

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I'm just wondering -- was the gator below the mean water line?

Better call Tim Tebow!

NEWS FLASH: I heard that so much public support has come in about the gator, that his life has been spared. Will update where they plan on relocating him.
Sowal Rules!

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That is great news, I guess the officer at WCSO was telling the truth, which is very nice. I was told they sometimes release them at Elgin.

Stinky's announced the addition of Gator Bites today! Come on down! : )

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Did you get a post card yet? Photos? Ok spill.....where's the info coming from. We know you must have an inside source. Mrs. Gator put up bail???

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I heard that Dr. Phil is building him a new lake and that Oprah is going to review his book when he gets it written.

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I was going to post earlier today that I was hungry for Bayou Bills' sauteed alligator (actually am, that's my fav) but thought that my comment would not be well received.

Not heard any confirmation, but hopefully he/she was indeed spared, and hopefully he/she isn't blind from being in salt water.

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Alligator captured on South Walton beach



March 17, 2009 07:27:00 AM
Suzanne Preston / Florida Freedom Newspapers
www.newsherald.com





Beachgoers had more to view than sand and surf Monday morning as deputies from the Walton County Sheriff's Office cordoned off a stretch of beach at Ed Walline Park to corral a transient alligator in the surf.

The alligator was reported to the WCSO Sunday evening and beach deputies were dispatched early Monday morning. The alligator was stuck in the rip tide and rolled in and out of the surf, rarely making it to the beach.
View a photo gallery of the gator being captured and taken away.
Onlookers were kept a safe distance away and soon many people were gathered along the dunes to watch and take pictures.
As deputies waited for Justin Johnson, an alligator trapper with the Nuisance Alligator Program, they kept a close eye on the gator and navigated their vehicles to keep curious beachgoers at a safe distance.
Upon Johnson's arrival he and Sgt. Ryan Brown of the WCSO took to the beach and waited for the reptile to get close enough to harpoon.
"The harpoon doesn't penetrate enough to kill," said Johnson. "It gives me enough leverage to pull the alligator out of the surf."
When the alligator was approximately 30 yards from the beach, Johnson and Brown waded waist deep into the water, harpooned the alligator and with help from local charter fisherman, Jimbo Bishop who had been summoned to help if Johnson was unable to respond to the scene, pulled the alligator onto the beach.
On shore, the three men quickly muzzled the 7 ½ foot alligator and Johnson tied its legs with electrical tape and secured it for transport.
The alligator didn't put up much of a fight.
"These gators can't take the salt water for long," Johnson said. "They can survive about seven days in the surf and this fellow has been swimming now for more than 24 hours; he's tired."
It took Johnson, Brown, Bishop and another deputy to lift the alligator into Johnson's truck.
"We're going to take him to a holding pen for now," said Johnson. "I'll have to find out if this alligator is going to be placed somewhere."
The Nuisance Alligator Program allows for some transient alligators to be relocated, usually if the alligator is shorter than four feet.
However, since this one was more than seven feet it's likely it will be killed.
"This is the first stray alligator of the season," said Johnson. "With it starting to warm up others will be on the move around the coastal lakes and we'll (the alligator trappers) be busy."




(Be sure to check out the capture photos in the link in this article.)

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Promoted to front page.

Last year I posted that I saw Jessica Simpson at Bud and Alley's and the paparazzi contacted me for more info. Apparently, our gator and his story have a national appeal too.

A reporter contacted me and wants to know if he can utilize my photos and interview me for a story to run in the Washington DC area.

Without overanalyzing this I am inclined to give him whatever he wants.

That said, do you guys think this is contributing to what could end up being a story that could end up being harmful to tourism or at least that has the potential to scare masses of people?

Sharks, gators and snakes seem to bring out irrational emotions/fears.

Let me know your thoughts. I haven't responded yet to the reporter's request.

G

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This is exactly how the media frenzy started around my cousin catching that 844 pound Mako a while back. It ran locally and, then, nationally. That's where it exploded.

I'm not saying the same will happen, but you might want to consider what might happen if the AP press runs with it...

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I'm the reporter in question -- and a part-time resident in SoWal. I just think its unusual -- and a great image. The folks at the Daily News have already agreed to let us use their photos -- so this is gravy. But Really, Geo --you got the best pics.

I hope you'll agree to let me use them because it's a great, offbeat, item that people will talk abotu for a long long time.

bdub

Geo...hold out for OK Magazine or National Geo-graphic.

You can really tell how big this gator is when he/she is on the back of that pickup truck. In one of the pictures it looks like he's getting handcuffed. I guess he really was.

Bdub... as in BW.... as in Bob Woodward? Is Geo the next deepthroat? Just having some fun... Carry on!

yes -- you're on to me now. Hafta go -- Carl Bernstein on line two.

Love the sense of humor

If I may, I would recommend meeting at the parking garage at the Sanctuary at Redfish in Blue Mountain as it's near to the middle of 30-A and is relatively empty all the time.

Hard call, anytime you deal with the public you are going to get opposing views and some will feel very strongly about those views even to the point of being rude in trying to shove their view down your throat.

Some will think saving the Gator is the thing to do and some will see him as nuisance that has the potentional to harm pets and children and even adults and needs to be destroyed before that happens.

Just don't be shocked at the reaction you may recieve.

At that risk of being rude and shoving my view down anyone's throat. I feel very strongly about my view. I do not see the need to destroy any living creature that is NOT harming anyone. I am not a lover of rats, snakes, spiders, or anything else that could possibly harm me. But I also don't want them all destroyed just because some may see them as a "nuisance" and could possibly hurt me or anyone else. I guess these same people would want all the sharks in the ocean destroyed as well, before they hurt someone. I just don't get it. Hell, I was attacked by a monkey, but I didn't want him destroyed. Still don't.

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I know I don't get there often enough, but God knows I surely try, It's a magic kind of medicine that no doctor could prescribe!

You are not being rude at all and my reference truly does not include anyone that has posted to this forum. It was simply a reference about what can happen when a local story goes national, nothing more. I had already stated I hope they save the gator.

I don't mean to sound rude, either...
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...but I still laugh whenever I think about you being attacked by that tiny monkey!

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My turn...FTLOC!

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The mind is like a parachute, it works best when it is open.

I am counting the days until I can sit on the cod balcony.

Monkeys and other discussions aside ... I'm sorry what seemed like a simple request has turned into a big debate. Look, we're going to run something on the story one way or the other. Not a big story ...not a sensational story .. but a small little story that says, "hey can you believe this?" It's interesting. The only question remaining is whether we will have the best pictures and I'm hoping Mr. Geo will allow us to use his images.

I -- like you -- have a great affection for the 30A corridor and the beaches of South Walton County. I own a house there. I have no interest if scaring off tourists -- or freaking people out. I do have in interest in showing my audience something that fascinated me and that I had never seen before. Like you -- I'm pretty sure they are going to find it interesting.

All the best gang -- I'll be back down among you in just a few more days. Can't wait.

bdub

Give him the photos. I would think that the emphasis will be more on saving the big guy rather than scaring tourists. Letting the public know that these animals getting killed, rather than rescued........ might make a difference. I can't begin to imagine how many gators on golf courses and other places get hauled off and killed instead of set free.........NOT FAIR! Save the gators! If they are being aggressive and harming people or doggies and kitties, that might be different. But when they are minding their own business..... they don't deserve to die.

So I gave the guy permission to use my photos. He seems like a nice guy. he has a place in the area and seems to have good intentions.

They are doing a 2 minute segment on our gator this Saturday afternoon on The Fox News Channel. He asked if they could interview me live but I can't do it because my son has a baseball game. I think my friend Keen (who was right there with me when I took the pics) is going to do the interview. I have no doubt that he will help ensure our area is presented in a positive light. Also- he is all for saving the gator.

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