Gator Seen Swimming In Ocean Off Florida Coast: Watch

JUPITER, FL — A Jupiter-based photographer and filmographer caught video of an alligator swimming in the ocean on Saturday. (Watch the video below.)

In an Instagram post, Nick Serr, who works under the name Altitude Film & Photo, said he and his girlfriend were out at a local beach to capture footage of the blacktip shark migration.

Blacktip sharks usually begin their migration north from Florida in the early winter months, December and January, according to Blacktip Challenge.

The couple was surprised when they spotted an 8- to 10-foot-long alligator taking a swim off a beach north of Jupiter inlet on Jupiter Island, instead.

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“Incredibly grateful to have captured this moment,” Serr wrote in his post.

Gators are usually only found in freshwater environments and aren’t typically seen in the ocean, according to the National Ocean Service.

They can only tolerate saltwater for a few hours up to a few days, maximum, the agency said. They’re more likely to be seen in swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes and ponds.

In October, a misguided gator was removed from the surf at Delray Beach by the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission.

“I’ve lived along the Treasure Coast and Palm Beaches for 18 years and have never seen an alligator break the inlet,” Serr wrote. “I’ve heard stories of possible sightings in the past, but none have been captured on video to my knowledge.”

He called it “a once-in-a-lifetime experience I’ll be sure to remember.”

Watch Serr's video: