A Fort Lauderdale resident got a not-so-welcome surprise when they found one of Florida's famous, scaly reptiles chilling in their swimming pool. A picture of the surprise visitor quickly made the rounds on social media, and it is safe to say that Floridians were both amused and horrified.
The original snapshot came courtesy of Pesky Critters, a local wildlife control service that stepped in to handle the situation. The company posted a pic of the creature on Instagram with a caption that perfectly summed up the wild encounter: "Another day, another pool, another CROCODILE!"This is exactly why I don’t like black bottom pools. My worst nightmare.
— Kevin (@TheBondGuy2) August 14, 2024
Of course, this isn't the first time a scaly visitor in South Florida has invaded someone's pool. In 2019, New Times reported on a Georgia family that said they were staying at a South Miami AirBnb when they found themselves face-to-face with a gator casually lounging on an alligator-shaped pool float. Talk about Florida being on-brand!
Fortunately, no one was injured in either encounter.
SoFlo isn't new to strange wildlife encounters, but these stories are a reminder that living in the Sunshine State means sharing your space with all kinds of swampland creatures — sometimes even in your own backyard. While many might be used to fishing out the occasional leaf or lizard, these crocs and gators take pool maintenance to a whole new level.
So, if you're a South Floridian with a backyard pool, consider this your official reminder to check for uninvited guests before cannonballing into the water, especially at night.
