Overview

• The encounter unfolded at Skull Creek Dockside on Hilton Head Island and was filmed by vacationer Gina Athans, whose video circulated widely.
• Footage shows a group of sharks, described by outlets as lemon sharks, swimming near the dock as a single alligator surfaced nearby.
• Onlookers, including children on the dock, watched as the animals largely ignored each other and the alligator stayed in the shaded water.
• South Carolina wildlife official Morgan Hart said the species generally coexist if comparable in size, though smaller juveniles could be vulnerable.
• The Florida Museum notes lemon sharks favor warm saltwater and seldom move far into freshwater, but brackish zones like Skull Creek can host both species; no attacks or emergency response were reported.