Alligator spotted strolling on this SC beach. See video of reptile sharing the sand
.jpeg "An alligator was spotted on the beach at Huntington Beach State Park in Murrells Inlet, SC. It’s not unusual to see the reptiles sharing the sand and sea with beachgoers.")
Visitors to a South Carolina beach were in for a surprise when they realized they were sharing the sand and sea with an alligator.
The alligator could be seen strolling along the waterfront in Huntington Beach State Park on Monday night, according to a Facebook post showing the animal walking through the sand before lying down for a quick break.
“Pretty cool seeing a Gator down by the beach,” the video’s poster, Tim Yauger, wrote.
It was the first night of a beach vacation for Yauger and his wife, Samantha, who came to the area from Pennsylvania to celebrate their 14th wedding anniversary.
The video has garnered hundreds of likes, comments and shares across multiple area Facebook groups, with some viewers expressing excitement about the alligator’s beach visit, and others voicing fear.
Yauger said that he and his wife had been playing in the ocean with their children, Timmy and Gabby Yauger, when a woman walking her dog approached them and said she’d seen the scaly animal on the beach.
Yauger got as close as he could to take the video, while keeping a respectful distance. He and Samantha Yauger said the kids were excited about the sighting, especially Timmy.
“My son, that’s his favorite animal,” Tim Yauger said. “He was pumped.”
Samantha Yauger said that ever since getting his stuffed alligator toy, Timmy, 9, has called the animals “adderpadders,” and he was thrilled to see one in real life.
The couple said that seeing the alligator on the shore felt particularly special because the woman who had alerted them to its presence told them she had lived in the area for 10 years and never seen one on the beach.
Alligators are some of the star residents of Huntington Beach State Park, and it’s not unusual to see a few when visiting the park’s freshwater lake, according to the South Carolina State Parks website. In fact, the park is home to more than 100 alligators, The Sun News previously reported.
This story was originally published June 18, 2025 at 10:50 AM.
