If sharks, jellyfish and stingrays aren't enough to keep you out of the surf...

[Pipe_Dream]

How about this?

http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/4MyDogs/Wellcraft/surfgator.jpg

"A 12-foot alligator -- perhaps one of the largest ever spotted on Hilton Head Island -- was sighted around 8:30 Saturday morning in the ocean directly in front of the Sea Pines Beach Club."
http://i81.photobucket.com/albums/j228/4MyDogs/gifs%20and%20smilies/icon_eek.gif

http://www.islandpacket.com/news/local/story/935889.html

[Stinky_Hooker]

I YAK around em all the time and they are pretty mellow. Now if we had salty crocs, THAT would be a different story. LOL

[reelapeelin]

Woulda thought pretty rare along SC coast...but there was one floatin' just like that in the mouth to the little harbour at the ramp at Cape San Blas one day a couple of years ago...he went under as I went over...got to the dock, told FLDNR Officer...we went and watched til he surfaced again...then officer CLEARED adjacent swimmin'/wadin' area real quick...

They may not be as aggressive as crocs, but this ol fat boy ain't takin' any chances...

[tsubaki]

This was taken a couple of weeks ago in Cumberland Sound.
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/fishing_bear_pics_2.jpg
http://i175.photobucket.com/albums/w159/tsubaki3/fishing_bear_pics.jpg

[Pipe_Dream]

This was taken a couple of weeks ago in Cumberland Sound.

Well, I'll be! I didn't know that bears were coming back into the coastal region. I know that their numbers are increasing all throughout the South, though.

[Pipe_Dream]

Woulda thought pretty rare along SC coast...but there was one floatin' just like that in the mouth to the little harbour at the ramp at Cape San Blas one day a couple of years ago...he went under as I went over...got to the dock, told FLDNR Officer...we went and watched til he surfaced again...then officer CLEARED adjacent swimmin'/wadin' area real quick...

They may not be as aggressive as crocs, but this ol fat boy ain't takin' any chances...

I've been haunting the waters around this island for over 20 years, and while I haven't yet seen a gator at the beach, I've seen the reports in the newspapers nearly every summer.

The rivers, creeks and sounds are another story. A couple of weeks ago I was cleaning up the ol' PD in the marina after a day on the water, when about 25 feet astern of her appeared a 6 footer. Not the first gator I've seen in the marina, but he was the biggest to date. Given a choice, I'd rather see a manatee in the marina than a gator.

[reelapeelin]

I've been haunting the waters around this island for over 20 years, and while I haven't yet seen a gator at the beach, I've seen the reports in the newspapers nearly every summer.

The rivers, creeks and sounds are another story. A couple of weeks ago I was cleaning up the ol' PD in the marina after a day on the water, when about 25 feet astern of her appeared a 6 footer. Not the first gator I've seen in the marina, but he was the biggest to date. Given a choice, I'd rather see a manatee in the marina than a gator.

Some pretty good sized ones inhabit the golf course ponds along the ICW up around the Sunset Beach area...that's NC...

[bcmarinamanager]

Surf City in Topsail Island had a gator swimming in the surf a couple weeks ago too. Very rare indeed. I've seen them on the river side of Carolina Beach, but never on the ocean side.

[bradford]

They caught a 9 footer off the beach at the north end of Tybee a few weeks ago. I saw a 10-12 footer in Field's Cut about 8 years ago.