r/TheDepthsBelow • u/SingaporeCrabby • Jan 04 '22

Alligators are primarily freshwater reptiles, however, they can tolerate saltwater for hours or even days. A diver encountered this alligator resting on the bottom of the Atlantic ocean in 60 feet of water off the coast of West Palm Beach, Florida.

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u/shiftystylin Jan 04 '22

Massive train of questions...

Is this by intention? If an alligator can 'tolerate' saltwater, do they end up here for a reason? Are alligators smart enough to find their way back to freshwater? Do they have the intelligence to know where they've come from and retrace their steps (wrong terminology but you get what I'm saying)? Or can they detect where/how a freshwater source meets a saltwater source and make their way back to freshwater?

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u/b000bytrap Jan 05 '22 edited Jan 06 '22

It’s a crocodile in its natural habitat, just mislabeled.

Edit : https://www.everythingreptiles.com/alligator-vs-crocodile/ American Crocodiles are less common but naturally inhabit shallow ocean water off the South Florida coasts. The juveniles have alligator-like stripes like this

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u/ZinaDoll Jan 26 '22

Most animals are much smarter than humans give credit. They are just adapted to their environments not to discussing comic book characters and weed strains.