Alligators caught fighting on this SC island. Watch the wild brawl on video here
On a sunny Saturday evening, Kelly Taylor was out for a quiet post-dinner walk around the Fripp Island golf course when something unexpected caught her eye.
Taylor, an 18-year resident of the island, said that she spotted one gator walking toward the nearby pond when, “out of nowhere,” the other prehistoric beast popped out from the trees and attacked.
Taylor, who lives behind hole 13, said the brief scuffle unfolded just behind hole number 10.
“I’ve never seen them fight like that,” she said, “It was completely random, I was kind of shaking when I saw it.”
Thinking quickly, she moved behind a tree about 200 yards away and snapped a video.
The encounter was shared by the Explore Beaufort, SC Facebook page, now amassing thousands of likes and views, shows the two modern dinosaurs locking jaws before cooling off with a dip into the pond.
Why do alligators fight?
Alligators can fight for several reasons: territorial disputes, food or sometimes to defend their young. Attacks can also happen during their mating season, which runs from May to June, with hatchlings popping up until September.
While their clashes can look fierce, the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources notes that attacks on people are rare, usually occurring only when gators are cornered, feel threatened or have been fed by humans and lost their natural fear.
The SCDNR states that ponds and waterways at golf courses are problem sites when alligators become accustomed to living near people, much like the area where Taylor spotted this recent gator brawl.
After all, even the calmest evening walk on Fripp Island can turn into a front-row seat to the wild side of the Lowcountry.
If you do spot an alligator, the SCDNR offers simple advice: Don’t approach, keep your distance and leave them alone.
How much longer are alligators out & about?
As temperatures begin to dip below 70 degrees, South Carolina’s alligators will soon enter brumation – a hibernation-like state where they burrow into mudholes, sometimes up to 65 feet long, to escape the cold.
Brumation typically lasts from November to early March, spanning four to five months.
This story was originally published November 4, 2025 at 11:40 AM with the headline "Alligators caught fighting on this SC island. Watch the wild brawl on video here."
