A viral TikTok showing sharks and an alligator swimming in the same South Carolina creek has left viewers stunned at the meeting of two predators.
Tourist Gina Athans from Chicago captured the jaw-dropping display Monday while enjoying a family dinner at Skull Creek Dockside in Hilton Head.
My family and I had just sat down to order our drinks when one of the managers came up to us and mentioned that there were sharks and an alligator out on the boat dock, Athans told The Island Packet. My first thought was theres no way theyre hanging out in the water together.
Athans and her family made their way outside, and were shocked to find five lemon sharks and an alligator poking its head out from under the dock in Skull Creek. She nervously filmed the encounter, which has since reeled in over 3.8 million views on TikTok.
Ive been visiting Hilton Head since I was 12 years old, and Ive never seen anything like this, Athans added.
Skull Creeks brackish waters, a mix of both fresh and saltwater, allow sharks and alligators to cross paths, Morgan Hart, the Alligator Project Leader for the South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, told The Island Packet.
The two predators usually coexist peacefully if similar in size, with the real danger coming from humans approaching or feeding them. Therefore, its best to watch them from a safe distance, she told the outlet.
Still, this particular video was too scary for some viewers to consider normal.