GALVESTON – When a gigantic gator was spotted off the shore in Jamaica Beach this weekend it quickly got the attention of everyone in the area.
Timeiki Hedspeth and her family were there to celebrate Father's Day.
"When we see a crowd of people, being nosy people we walked down there, and that's when we realized it's an alligator," Hedspeth said.
The gator measured nearly 13 feet long. It turned out he was dead, which Hedspeth says was a blessing considering there were so many people in the water.
"If that thing would have woke up, we was like, maybe he (was) playing 'possum?" Hedspeth said.
Even though it was the second gator spotted on a Galveston area beach in two days, it was still a shock to swimmers.
The animals live in fresh water and it's not very common to spot them near the salty sea.
"I don't understand what's going on, where they're coming from," Hedspeth said.
Texas wildlife workers said the gator was likely displaced from the recent flooding. They believe this one waded into the water to rinse off his hide. They say it's unclear how he died.
Many beach-goers took pictures with the gator and some even posed on his back.
Wildlife workers said to always avoid alligators and call the game warden if you see one alive or dead.