HILLSBORO BEACH, Fla. — An unusual sight on a South Florida beach sent swimmers looking for dry land Monday.
Aerial video recorded above Hillsboro Beach in Broward County showed an alligator swimming near the shoreline.
Officers with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission responded to the scene to wrangle the reptile, which was estimated to be about 6 feet long.
Once the officers caught the alligator, NBC Miami reported that the reptile was taken to the Everglades and released.
The FWC said alligators can swim in and tolerate salt water for a short period of time, but it's not their preferred habitat. They are common in freshwater lakes, slow-moving rivers, brackish water and their associated wetlands.
Wildlife experts said when alligators are spotted in the ocean, it's often because they took a wayward turn somewhere.
Alligators seen swimming in the Atlantic Ocean seem to happen a few times a year in South Florida.
A 12-foot alligator was seen in the surf walking along Delray Beach last October.
Also, an 8- to 10-foot alligator was seen swimming in the surf just north of the Jupiter Inlet last December.
