Surfing Alligator Eludes Wildlife Officers

A seafaring alligator rode waves in the Atlantic Ocean and got away from wildlife officers who rushed to the beach to destroy it.

Lifeguards spotted the 5- to 6-foot gator and cleared the beach for about 500 yards. About 1,500 people followed as the reptile swam north along the shore, occasionally riding a wave.

“We never knew alligators could get in the ocean,” said Tim Allsop of South Amherst, Ohio, one of the curious.

It was the third gator in two weeks to wander into the ocean here, said Beach Patrol Sgt. Mark Dempsey.

But officers searched into the night without spotting the surfing gator again.

“He disappeared into the darkness,” said Natural Resources spokesman Mike Willis. “Maybe he’ll find his way home and get back into his swamp.”