‘Gators everywhere!’ Over 300 alligators surround Georgia boat ramp. See video
A rarely witnessed mass congregation of alligators was recorded at Georgia’s Stephen C. Foster State Park near the Okefenokee Swamp, park officials say.
It’s estimated around 300 of the predators mysteriously surrounded a boat basin on Saturday, July 26, resulting in a swirling sea of jaws in every direction.
“These big beautiful creatures (are) hanging out and putting on a show,” the park reported in a Facebook post.
“The gators have been chilling, swimming around, catching a few fish (and a turtle!), starting a bit of gator drama in close quarters, and letting out the occasional bellow! It’s been an amazing thing to see.”
Park officials didn’t say if the gathering disrupted boat rentals.
Alligator researcher Mark Hoog investigated the report and he saw “around 300 almost completely contained within the boat basin and canal.”
“This rare occurrence happens only once or twice a year, typically in the summer months. ... The alligators showed up on the morning of the 26th and were gone by the morning of the 27th,” said Hoog, who is with the University of Georgia Coastal Ecology Lab.
“The number ... was highest in the early morning and late in the evening. However, it did not seem like they left and came back, but rather hunkered down on the bottom during the hottest part of the day, periodically coming to the surface for air and then remaining on the surface when the temperatures were cooler.”
A motive for the gathering remains unknow. However, it was clearly not a mating ritual, Hoog said. Alligator mating season is in the spring, April to early June.
“There was very little bellowing and no courtship displays. ... It seems to be some combination of resource availability (food) and environmental factors (water level and temperature),” he said.
Stephen C. Foster State Park is remote, about a 295-mile drive southeast from Atlanta and a primary entrance to the 438,000-acre Okefenokee Swamp. It’s estimated 12,000 alligators live in the swamp, the park says.
Alligators in Georgia can reach 16 feet and 800 pounds, the state says.
This is the second July in a row a congregation of alligators formed for unknown reasons near the Okefenokee Swamp. The 2024 gathering included 150 alligators filling a mile and a half span of water, the Coastal Ecology Lab reported.
Such congregations involve large numbers of alligators cramming themselves into a small area.
This story was originally published July 28, 2025 at 7:57 AM with the headline "‘Gators everywhere!’ Over 300 alligators surround Georgia boat ramp. See video."