Alligator in My Pool
Alligator in My Pool
So early Tuesday morning, around 3am to be precise, I found an alligator in my pool. I walked Phaedra through the lanai (that’s a screened in patio if you don’t live in Florida) and by the edge of my pool, out to the back yard. I noticed that the edge of the pool had splash marks, like someone had gotten in and out of it. I caught a glimpse of green reptile skin. I thought maybe I’d just seen a giant frog. I got Phaedra in the house, grabbed a flash light, and headed back out to the pool. I turned on the floodlight above the pool (which is what the yellow lighting is), and then saw the alligator in my pool!
I bit back a shriek and went to let Dave know. We determined that the gator had crawled through the doggie door that goes between the lanai and the back yard. Never have I been more relieved that I did NOT install a doggie door between the house and the lanai. I have no doubt that it would have crawled into my home and eaten Max the pug.
Looking at the gator in my pool, and knowing how small my pool is, I estimated that the gator was about 6 feet long. Big enough to eat my pug in two bites, big enough to hurt Phaedra or me. We were INSANELY lucky that he did not lunge out of the pool when we walked by.
Alligator in My Pool Video
If you like this video give it a thumbs up!
We called Wildlife Control. They told us to stay inside until they arrived. So I snuck a few photos from my window while waiting for them to get here. Their concern was that we not scare the gator into the yard. Wildlife Control arrived at our home around 4:30 am. They let me take photos and film their capture of this guy. I nicknamed him Beauregard, after the gator we used to see in another pond (and for all I know it’s the same gator). He is 6 feet 4 inches long. Wildlife Control told us that they would be taking him to a gator farm in Polk County where he’d be safe, since he didn’t attack me or the dogs. They also said that he likely was here for the dogs.
While this is not the first alligator that I’ve had show up at my home, it is the first alligator in my pool. Last time the gator was tiny, cat sized, at my front door. The other creepy crawly thing that I’ve had in my pool was a black racer snake. I’d like to not have another alligator in my pool for quite a while!
Have you ever had something like this happen?
My brother and my ex were the guys that came and got them. Alligators are like stray dogs in my family. 6 generations in South Florida will do it.
Joys of living in Florida lol we find them under our cars quite often.
HOLY CRAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I would have had a fit if I went outside and saw that! I have heard that people deal with scary wasps and insects and stuff like that in their back yards in Florida……turns out it can get a lot more serious than that! I am glad it didn’t get your dogs!
Wow – that is amazing! So lucky both you and your doggie were because alligators can move pretty quickly when they want to.
Where I live in Melbourne, we don’t have alligators or crocodiles, but up North in the Tropical zone there are stacks of them in the waterways, lakes and rivers. Even in some of the canals along all the resorts along Queensland have them – as well as sharks.
We live in the outer east of Melbourne and the only wildlife problems we have are foxes (introduced and really becoming a problem), snakes, red back spiders (dangerous and potentially fatal) and the ever present possums. We have never had a snake in our yard, but have plenty of red backs and possums.
This is a great video and I think you are brave.
I was so grateful that it didn’t lunge at Phaedra when we walked by the edge of the pool. They said that the gator was probably there for the dogs, since they like to eat them. We have a lot of gross or semi-dangerous stuff here in FL. The gators never really bothered me before. Now I check for them every time I go outside.
Also……I just realized you don’t use disqus anymore! I might be proving how long it’s been since I’ve commented (oops!) but this is a new development to me lol!
It’s recent. They turned on ads on my site without my permission so I dumped them.
oh my GOD that’s my worst nightmare!! We have a pool too and we are RIGHT on a lake. So I’m terrified of looking out and seeing one. So lucky you didn’t have a doggy door! That sounds like a true nightmare!! Alligators are like my biggest fear. I know they normally leave people alone blah blah blah they still scare the crap out of me! However one night when I was 18 and just moved into my own apartment,the girl who lived below me came home to find an alligator in her BATHTUB! Of course it didn’t get there naturally, some friends of hers put it there as a joke….needless to say she wasn’t laughing! We had to call wildlife control and they actually wouldn’t remove it themselves. It was weird. We (not me but my friends) had to bring him out to their truck.
That would have been terrifying!
Oh yes, now I remember why I hated living in Florida!! I lived outside of Ocala in Crystal River and while I was there I saw an alligator, my parents had a rattlesnake on their lanai and then there was a black panther that was spotted in the neighborhood! it is super scary that you and your dog had walked past him. I am so happy that this story had a happy ending because it really could have been so much worse.
I feel extremely lucky.
No, no gators here, but I’ve had it before & it’s tasty!
I had it in California but not in a very long time.
Watched this on You Tube after hearing about it on the FB group. Then I promptly sent it to my sister who has a winter place in Polk County…Lakeland!! She does live on a small lake with alligators in it!! Going to visit her next February! We only have snow storms and bears and coyotes up here in Michigan!! Enjoy Traverse City by the way. One of my favorite places!
You’ll love Lakeland! It’s nice and quiet.
Holy moly! Thank God ya’ll are safe and the fur babies are good. Whew that would make me freaked.
Thanks! I’m glad I didn’t have anyone injured!
yeesh! I never saw a gator in a residential area when I lived in FL but after Hurricane Floyd my childhood home was filled with those snakes you mention!
We have tons of lakes and ponds around me. So I see them pretty regularly, just not in my pool!
That’s so freaking cool but frightening at the same time!! I’ve only ever heard stories about a gator being in someone’s pool but seeing the video and photos was so neat!
Yeah I figured it was a kodak moment!
I saw this when you shared it on Instagram and it is just so much NOPE! That thing is huge! I don’t know what I would do if I saw that thing in our pool. I’d probably have to move!
I think I need to get a different type of dog door that only lets our dogs in by verification with their collars.
Yes, good idea! If we add a dog door, that’s definitely what we’ll do. In Texas, we don’t have to worry about gators, but I’d be more worried about a raccoon or possum coming in!
GAAAHHH! Holy crap holy crap holy crap! A few days later, and this still freaks me out! (Your pictures of him are much bigger and scarier than the smaller ones on Facebook, LOL!)
He was longer than I am tall. Definitely scary.
I live in southeast coastal Georgia, on an island, so we have gators everywhere too. It’s rather horrifying that this one got so close to your home. They will go out of their way for a dog. Glad yours were safe!
That’s what the wildlife control people said – that they liked to eat dogs!
Had no idea Florida had alligators. I guess that’s where Florida Gators comes from…haha. They’re very common in Louisiana, just not common to show up at your front door. They fry and cook them here. Have you ever had fried alligator? Lol
I tried alligator in California once. It reminded me of chicken.