Alligator off Florida coast wrangled and sent back to Everglades

Beachgoers in Hillsboro Beach, part of Miami, were surprised to see an alligator swimming in the ocean, and wildlife officials came to remove the reptile.

While alligators can tolerate saltwater, their preferred habitat is freshwater, mainly wetlands, lakes and rivers.

Locals first noticed the out-of-place reptile at around 7:30 a.m. Monday.

“The neighbor came over and he was walking his dog, and he said, ‘Hey, there’s an alligator on the beach,’ and I’m like, ‘No there’s not.’ So we go look and we thought it was just seaweed, and we walked down there, and there was an alligator,” resident Rich Loney told WPLG, the Miami ABC affiliate.

The gator, estimated to be 6 feet long, was corralled by responding Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission personnel.

The alligator was subsequently returned to a more suitable habitat in the Florida Everglades, according to WTVJ, Miami’s NBC affiliate.

Wildlife experts say people should not panic if they see an alligator out by the sea, as it likely means the reptile is lost.

“If you see a gator in the ocean, understand it took a wrong turn somewhere, and it doesn’t mean to be out in the ocean. … He’s probably trying to figure out how to get back to fresh water,” Zoo Miami Communications Director Ron Magill told WTVJ.