PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – According to data, Florida is home to the second-largest number of alligators in the United States, falling about 700,000 gators behind Louisiana.
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But that still doesn’t make it any less shocking when one of the large reptiles shows up on your property and appears to be using your backyard pool to cool off from the intense summer heat.
Well, according to a Ponte Vedra Beach resident, that’s exactly what happened when he woke up on Sunday morning.
Edward McClamma sent pictures and video to News4JAX on Sunday of an alligator in his pool, showing the gator swimming around before eventually resting on the pool’s entry steps.
In one video, the alligator can be seen menacingly crawling along the pool’s floor.
In another, the reptile is pulled out of the water and is being handled by a man who gives the animal a couple of squeezes before another man taps his fingers multiple times along its exterior.
The animal is then turned on its back as FWC officials continue to examine it.
The incident is far from the first time a Florida resident has experienced something along these lines.
In May 2022, the Charlotte County Sheriff’s Office posted photos of a 10-foot, 550-pound alligator casually swimming in their pool.
And in 2018, a Sarasota family had to call officials to pull an 11-foot alligator out of their pool.
If an alligator manages to get into your pool, call the FWC’s Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
Alligators are typically deemed a nuisance if they are over at least 4 feet in length and pose a threat to people, pets or property.
