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Old 04-30-2010, 10:04 AM
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Default Alligator Photographed By 60 ft. Reef Off Palm Beach, FL






... an Alligator in 60 ft. of water off the Breakers in Palm Beach!!!?

WHAT is a gator doing in saltwater and that far offshore. Got me, would have sworn it had to have been a crocodile but they so no, a 5 to 6 ft. gator snoozing on the sand. They are supposed to have gator in New York sewers, maybe this one got flushed too and washed out an ocean outfall?



From: http://www.TheLivingSea.com/gallery.php#2

"PALM BEACH, FL -- A rare site on the Breakers reef. Lazaro Ruda had a unique encounter with an alligator at 60 feet below the surface.

He thought it was a prank with other divers until the gator moved its leg. He ended up getting video of it as it moved to the surface.

In his own words:

While diving today at one of the more popular reefs in Palm Beach I had an encounter I never expected. I had a handful of divers who I was guiding across the sand to the end of Breaker's Reef -- a patch reef called Turtle Mound. This patch reef has been very good to me giving me such amazing encounters like great hammerheads, numerous sea turtles, and tons of unique small creatures, but today it really went out of its way to impress.

As I cruised along the sand, from the hazy distance I could see a dark shadow. Not being able to discern its shape too well I thought to myself, "Holy cow! That's a huge stingray." This sandy area usually has some very large southern stingrays, so I swam towards it with my camera in hand. I couldn't believe my eyes. This creature was so out of place that I thought it was nothing more than a well planned out hoax by my good friends. I took a photo from a distance in case it wasn't a hoax so I would have some kind of proof.

As I approached closer I looked carefully at its mouth for the tell-tale sign of what I thought it was -- a salt water crocodile (in 60 feet of water!). But I could tell it wasn't a crocodile. It was, in fact, a 5 - 6 foot American alligator. Its eyes were closed and it did not move so I was almost certain this was one heck of a joke my friends were playing on me. I mean, no one can expect to see an alligator miles out in the ocean. So I approached within inches of it to get some pictures you know to play along with the joke. But suddenly its eyes opened and it moved its legs. Oh my goodness!! I could not believe this gator was the REAL thing." More images and story at: http://www.wpbf.com/travelgetaways/23314638/detail.html


A video of the encounter:
https://vimeo.com/13665376


There was a case of an 8 ft. alligator off Picnic Island on the West Coast of Florida in 2002. More at: http://news.google.com/newspapers?ni...g=3846,4522007


Alligator to Crocodile comparison:


"Another difference between alligators and crocodiles is the presence or absence of viewable teeth. Crocodile's top and bottom teeth are viewable from the side, whereas alligator's bottom teeth are not."
From: http://techforedblog.blogspot.com/20...lligators.html

The open ocean is reportedly not the normal habitat of alligators. This indvidual was reported four miles south of the nearest inlet.

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Last edited by ricki; 10-14-2022 at 10:37 AM.
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