How did this dead alligator end up on a Hilton Head beach? Here’s what local experts think

With its body buried near the dunes of Coligny Beach, the fate of a 6-foot-alligator whose carcass washed onto the Hilton Head Island shoreline will likely remain a mystery — but the viral moment highlighted several little-known facts about the Lowcountry’s apex predator.

We asked three local wildlife experts to contextualize last week’s curious incident and explain how the freshwater reptile might have ended up in the ocean. Here’s what they said.

Gators on an ‘offshore highway’

“Alligators actually do use the ocean pretty regularly to feed and to move from place to place,” said Morgan Hart, the lead alligator researcher at South Carolina’s Department of Natural Resources. “They’ll kind of use it as an offshore highway.”

The reptiles can tolerate ocean water for several hours or even days , but they’ll eventually have to return to freshwater to drink and shake off the salt, Hart said. Beachgoers often don’t see alligators in the ocean because they blend in with the murky water.

Gators can also die in the seawater, of course, or their bodies can be swept into the ocean from a freshwater channel. But maritime scavengers typically take care of the carcass before it can wash ashore, according to Hart.

Hart guessed this particular alligator was most likely killed by the species’ most common predator: itself. Like many other mammals, gators sometimes resort to cannibalism for meals or when their territory is threatened by another member of their species.

“It’s possible this alligator got in a fight with another alligator and was thrown around or drowned,” Hart said. “Usually in those cases, if the alligator is much larger, it will consume the smaller alligator.”

Judging from the photos, Hart said the alligator on Coligny Beach looked “a little bloated” from its time in the water. Its body didn’t seem to have any external trauma, she said, but gators’ dark and thick skin often prevent injuries from manifesting in easily visible ways.

Dr. Thomas Rainwater, a crocodilian biologist at Clemson University, echoed Hart’s comments about alligators using the ocean to get around, adding that the critters often feed in brackish estuaries of the Lowcountry, where seawater mixes with freshwater. But “these movements come with a risk,” he said.

This gator could have died from a number of causes after venturing into the ocean, Rainwater said, including prolonged exposure to saltwater, a boat strike, underlying health problems or a combination of the three.

Another gator guru theorized the reptile could have gone into the ocean after being struck by a moving car or a rogue hunter’s bullet. Alligators sometimes use saltwater as a “generic cleanser” after being injured, according to Matt Kraycar, owner of the Bluffton-based K&K Wildlife Services. Across his 20 years of experience, he’s rescued and wrangled hundreds of gators in the Beaufort County area.

Kraycar estimated his wildlife removal company has removed five alligators from Hilton Head’s ocean water so far this year, most of which were 3 to 4 feet long. “They’ll go in there for several different reasons, whether it’s parasites, injuries,” he said. “Occasionally, they might be going from island to island.”

Calls about alligators in the ocean have risen in recent years, Kraycar said, although he attributes that to increased tourism boosting the number of sightings and social media making them easier to report.

“It’s usually random, but it seems like the gators intentionally pick busy holiday weekends to do it,” he joked.

Should you report gator sightings in the ocean?

There’s no hard-and-fast rule for reporting alligators seen in saltwater or near the beach, according to Hart. If the gator seems to be swimming effectively and at a safe distance from humans, it’s usually best to leave it alone.

But in other situations — if an alligator is in the water very close to swimmers or it makes its way onto the beach and draws a large crowd — beachgoers are encouraged to contact the state’s DNR or their area’s local security force.

Above all, Hart reminded tourists and locals to never feed alligators and to treat the creatures with respect and caution.

“Alligators are found below the fall line in South Carolina in almost any water source. Just because you don’t see an alligator doesn’t mean it’s not there,” she said. “We have to give them room and respect.”

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