Video of Hundreds of Gators Swarming in Georgia Swamp Is Making Everybody Uneasy

Hundreds of alligators swarmed Okefenokee Swamp in Fargo, Georgia last week and the video is making viewers uneasy. WSB-TV in Atlanta shared a video on Facebook on Thursday, July 18th shot by a boater trying to navigate his way through the gators, and you've got to see it to believe it.

The video is a minute and a half long and shows the boater, a man named Marty Welch, slowly trying to get through the water without hitting any gators. In the video you can hear Welch say they're also laying on the bank of the swamp. The gators are clearly unbothered by him or by the boat. Make sure your sound is on so you can hear the boater and his companion's conversation!

I wouldn't want to be anywhere near that swamp! I was not alone in feeling that way. WSB-TV commenters were taken aback by the swarm. Commenter @MJ Jordan made me laugh with, "I don't know what kind of boat they were in, but it wasn't big enough." @Tanishal Harris said what I was thinking, "No way my hands would be stable enough to take video. My video would’ve been shaking from the sheer fear!" and @Charzette MzChaz Harris added, "I would turn that boat around!"

Related: Alligator Enters Louisiana Home Through the Doggie Door Like It Owns the Joint

Why Were So Many Gators in the Okefenokee Swamp?

WSB-TV also linked to an article with a bit more information about the gator swarm. Local residents weren't surprised like the rest of us were by the video. WSB shared, "The Okefenokee is known for its abundance of amphibians and reptiles including American alligators. The Swamp is a 438,000-acre protected wetland with several canals that run through it."

But why were so many there? Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge also shared the video and explained what was going on, “This behavior is not a regular occurrence but it’s completely normal in times of low water levels when their food sources are more concentrated,” the refuge said in the video’s caption on their Facebook page.

If this video is something that could give you nightmares, you're not alone. Alligators are scary animals to most people, and for good reason. National Geographic calls them apex predators and had this to say about their feeding habits, "They feed mainly on fish, turtles, snakes, and small mammals. However, they are opportunists, and a hungry gator will eat just about anything, including carrion, our pets and, in rare instances, humans."

Alligators are one of the oldest animals around, and they're considered living dinosaurs. Alligators appeared approximately 84 million years ago; but their ancestors are even older and evolved more than 200 million years ago. The only older reptiles on Earth are turtles and tortoises.

I live in northern Georgia, about 6 hours away from the Okefenokee Swamp. Fortunately, way up here we don't worry about running into alligators throughout our day, and that's something that I can say that I'm not sad about!

Looking for more PetHelpful updates? Follow us on YouTube for more entertaining videos. Or, share your own adorable pet by submitting a video, and sign up for our newsletter for the latest pet updates and tips.