A Florida fisherman’s efforts came to an abrupt end when he almost became the catch of the day.
Footage posted on YouTube shows 22-year-old Tommy Lee fishing for tarpon in the Everglades on Saturday when an alligator emerges from the water.
“Oh, Jesus Christ,” he says as the gator approaches.
Then, to make matters worse, Lee fell while fleeing.
Fortunately, the gator held back and, after a tense standoff, returned to the water.
But the fisherman called it day.
“And I am out of here,” he said. “Screw that.”
Lee estimated the gator at 11 feet long.
It’s mating season in Florida, which means the gators are more active and encounters can become more frequent.
Florida Fish and Wildlife urges residents to be vigilant ― for themselves and their pets ― given that alligators live in all 67 counties in the state.
Experts say they could be present anywhere there’s water.
“First of all, you need to watch every body of water, your bathtub, your swimming pool, your backyard pond, your mud puddles that your kids play in ― anywhere an alligator can be found right now, because alligators are on the run, especially the smaller ones that are easier to hide,” Gatorland’s Savannah Boan told Click Orlando. “The big bull alligators are pushing all the little ones out because they want all the ladies to themselves.”
Sometimes that means a quick end to a fishing trip.
Other times it leads to displays such as this one, captured from a Florida backyard last month:
(h/t digg)