Recently, the waters off Hilton Head Island, a vacation hotspot in South Carolina, USA, witnessed the rare spectacle of 'sharks and an alligator together.' Five sharks and one American alligator were seen swimming together, which made would-be swimmers shy away from entering the water but instead eager to witness a 'showdown' between these two top predators.
According to the New York Post, video footage taken by onlookers shows several sharks swimming near the dock, while one American alligator quietly lingered in the shade. At times, it would swim in the same waters as the sharks, yet there were no signs of mutual aggression.
The person who filmed the scene, Asanz, said he has been vacationing here since age 12 and has never seen anything like this before.
Sharks typically inhabit deep, salty ocean water, while American alligators are usually found in freshwater swamps. According to the Florida Museum, lemon sharks commonly seen in South Carolina prefer warmer waters and seldom enter freshwater systems, but this does not prevent both sharks and alligators from being attracted to the brackish water (a mix of salt and fresh water) by the Skull Creek dock.
The local lemon sharks, while fond of warm water, rarely venture deep into freshwater. Hart, head of the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources' alligator program, pointed out that when two predators are similar in size, they can often coexist peacefully. However, if either encounters young that can be preyed upon, they will attack.