I was attacked by an alligator this morning while swimming off southern Melbourne Beach this morning (Thursday, May 31). It missed taking my arm by about 3 inches. 

This is odd behavior for gators. Given the unusually calm conditions recently it likely decided to hunt off the beach.

Unlike beach sharks, gators are ambush predators. The first time I saw it it was inches away from me. I of course fled. It followed within feet of the shore. Also unlike sharks it will likely feed all day and attack surffers.

Normally gators don't attack humans, but this one was clearly willing. It had a smaller partner folloing it. 

I called 911, but I thought I would drop this note as well. Today may not be a good day for swimming. Likely the gators will flee when the waves return, or when animal control finds them. 

Sure it wasnt a Croc?A few years ago there was a Crocodile in the surf south of the inlet.

Count yourself lucky.  Gators and Crocs are no joke.  

Check out this site for survival tips. 

Scroll down to see Tip #6


I Hope this info never has to be utilized. . .but just in case:

http://www.wikihow.com/Survive-an-Encounter-with-a-Crocodile-or-Alligator

Be Careful People!

Cheers, 

Tierza

Hey jw, got any more information for us?

The incident has not been reported to the news, and the authorities don't seem to have a record of it.

Was a trapper called to the scene or helicopter to track?

Gators in the surf is extremely rare here.

Glad you weren't hurt!

Where EXACTLY were you in the water?

How large was the creature?

There are spots in the south beaches where large gators are known to hang out , and I've seen more babies recently.

A beachgoer snapped this photo of a crocodile on a beach in Indian River County Tuesday July  9 2009
Click on below link for the story

http://www.tcpalm.com/news/2009/jul/09/beachgoers-spot-crocodile-beachside-south-sebastia/

Here's some more info:

I called 911. They connected me to the fire department who promised to call the lifeguards. They may have blown me off. So far no one I've told in person has believed me, so...

The water was chest high, maybe 50 - 100 feet off shore. There were no waves or swell to speak of. The surf was breaking less than 10 feet from the shore.

I'm not sure how large it was, at least 6 feet though. I only saw the front of the head and a shadow. I'm nearsighted without my glasses. I saw the part trying to bite me well, but the rest of it was under murky water and too far away. 

The nose was flatter than an American Crocodile and it didn't have protruding teeth. 

I am not a gator expert, but remember what I saw (just the nose) fairly clearly. 

I reviewed pictures from the internet. I'm surprised at how much variation there is between individuals of the same species. 

Stll, it didn't have the protruding nostrils or teeth of the American Crocodile. The nose was flatter. It most closely resembeled pictures of the Salt Water Crocodile but it those are 25 feet long and live 6,000 miles from here.

It would be alarmist to assume a Salt Water Croc. They are deadly maneaters and a real danger to people walking on the beach. Swimming would be prohibitted.

It is far more likely an Alligator who got caught in a current and was trying to get home. 

woooow! sorry to hear about that! take care in the water!

Not to bump this post to be an alarmist, but... My wife and I saw either a croc or a gator, a large one, last week during the west winds of that storm, swimming south about 100 yards out.  It would surface every few minutes or so.  It was very dark and slender, no fins, and it's head was unmistakable even from that far out, with the bump of the skull, and snout. At first I wanted to believe manatee, but when it came up again there was just no way.  It was deAngelos and tiara by the sea, seven or so miles north of Sebastian inlet.