10-foot alligator spotted relaxing at popular Florida beach

A large alligator was spotted relaxing alongside beachgoers at a popular beach in Florida on Friday, before jumping back into the ocean. 

The reptile was estimated to be around 10-foot long, according to Kyle Hussey, the man who saw the animal and photographed it at Melbourne Beach. 

The alligator laid on the beach soaking up the sun for about 10 minutes, before jumping back into the ocean water and disappearing with the waves. 

Gators are "definitely something you don’t see every day," he said. 

It is unknown what happened to the alligator after Hussey left. 

According to the National Ocean Service, alligators aren’t typically found in the ocean.

"While alligators can tolerate salt water for a few hours or even days, they are primarily freshwater animals, living in swampy areas, rivers, streams, lakes, and ponds," the organization's website reads.

However, a week ago, another alligator was spotted and pulled from the ocean by Florida Fish and Wildlife (FWC) at Delray Beach, about 135 miles from Melbourne Beach. The gator was transferred to a farm. 

In 2019, a similar incident occurred when an alligator or crocodile was spotted swimming in the ocean just off Vanderbilt Beach in the popular resort area of Naples, Florida and Collier County.