We’ve featured articles before about an alligator being spotted in strange places in Texas. In actuality, it’s not that they’re in strange places, it just seems strange to us to see them there…something which they’re probably thinking too. When beach-goers on the Bolivar Peninsula got a glimpse of one, they captured it on video for everyone to see, and the result has become a bit of a viral sensation.
The Rod Ryan Show shared the footage of the alligator enjoying the Texas beach on their Facebook page, and ABC 13 covered the story as well. Crystal Beach became a bit of a sideshow on Sunday, July 21, 2019, as a result. It’s first spotted sitting at the water’s edge. It stays long enough for its appearance to become known, before it turns around to go back into the water. Beach-goers seemed confused at its presence on this popular southeast Texas summer vacation spot.
Video: Facebook/The Rod Ryan Show
According to the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department (TPWD) the American alligator is a semi-aquatic species. They’re great swimmers, but the confusion in this instance may have come from the fact that they’re known to be more active from mid-October through early March. Following that, March through the month of May is known to be their breeding and nesting period. So, to see this lone alligator on Crystal Beach in July did seem a little out-of-place. They also do their best to avoid humans, which obviously wasn’t the case in this instance. Not only that, but their water habitats are generally that of marshes, swamps, bayous, and rivers. The likelihood of crossing paths with one at a beach off the Texas Gulf Coast is quite rare. In all, it’s a cautionary tale, and one that bears note for your next outing. Remember, we share the habitat of so many a different creature, most of which were here well before we were.
