Alligator Hitches a Ride With a Bunch of Tourists and Mayhem Ensues

Written by Sarah Psaradelis
Updated: October 18, 2023
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Alligators can be scary yet fascinating creatures, and there’s no doubt that the alligator’s behavior in this video was frightening to the tourists.

A tourist boat on a large lake showed a man filming a large alligator along the edge of the water. The boat seemed to have gotten stuck on the bank where an alligator was lounging amongst the grass and reeds. The gator seemed calm at first, watching the curious tourists who were laughing and having a good time.

Check Out The Entire Video Below!

Watch this massive alligator hop into a tourist boat to catch a ride!

The person taking the video can be seen filming a close-up of the gator’s face while commenting on how gators will not actively hunt for something that is already dead and how they will not fall for stuff like that.

The videographer then goes on to explain how he is going to have to push off from the bank to get the boat moving again in the water, even making a joke to one of the tourists that the gator is close enough that you can reach out and slap it, but the tourist’s nervous laughter was followed by the tourist saying how he would if he wanted to, but his unease is clear from his voice.

Alligator eating

©Peter Aronson/Shutterstock.com

After the laughter dies down and everyone goes silent, the alligator who had remained unmoving the entire time suddenly jumps into the boat and causes a commotion. You can hear the tourist’s screams of shock and fear as the alligator moves across the boat, and they are moving out of the way as the crocodile makes its way to the railing on the boat.

The funny outcome of this situation is that the gator seemed to have gotten its belly stuck between two of the railings along the boat and you can see its legs struggling to get it free so it can swim back into the water. The gator seemed to have been alarmed by the screams, but it did not injure anyone or even look back.

A Joke Gone Wrong

After the gator is in the water and the tourists are safe, they begin to laugh at the situation. Even though the alligator and the tourists were not hurt, it is still a surreal experience and shows how quickly these creatures can move from one place to another.

Perhaps the alligator didn’t appreciate the slapping joke and this whole situation was a joke gone wrong, or he just wanted to hitch a ride on their boat and felt unwanted when they started screaming. Whatever the reason was for the crocodile’s reaction, it surely must have been terrifying for everyone involved.

The photo featured at the top of this post is © Ernie Hounshell/Shutterstock.com


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About the Author

Sarah is a writer at A-Z Animals primarily covering aquatic pets, rodents, arachnids, and reptiles. Sarah has over 3 years of experience in writing and researching various animal topics. She is currently working towards furthering her studies in the animal field. A resident of South Africa, Sarah enjoys writing alongside her pets and almost always has her rats perched on her shoulders.

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