An encounter involving a Georgia resident and a large assembly of alligators in the Okefenokee Swamp, captured on video, has sparked interest from researchers looking into the reasons behind such a significant gathering in a confined section of canal.
Marty Welch and his wife were boating through the swamp at Stephen C. Foster State Park, en route to Billy’s Lake, when they stumbled upon the cluster of alligators, as he recounted to Fox News Digital.
On July 14, they recorded the adventure on a cellphone video, which Welch uploaded to his Facebook page two days later, racking up over 930,000 views as of Monday.
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“Look at the gators, man, there are so many,” Welch can be heard exclaiming in the footage. “Look at ’em. There must be around 50 or 60.”
“More than that,” his wife Tina responded, suggesting that there had to be more than 100.
Marty Welch and his wife, Tina Welch, pictured at right during their trip through the Okefenokee Swamp in Georgia, happened upon a mass gathering of alligators in a canal on their way to Billy’s Lake. (Marty Welch via Storyful; Marty Welch)
The video showcases the swarm of alligators traversing the canal in various directions.
At times, the alligators were so closely packed that viewers could hear and see them crawling over one another in the water.
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“Look at all the gators,” Marty Welch remarked. “There are alligators everywhere.”
This remarkable sight attracted the attention of researchers from the University of Georgia’s Marine Extension and Georgia Sea Grant.
Marty Welch’s video shows alligators on top of each other in the water. Right, an alligator is seen in a stock photo on a canal bank in the Okefenokee Swamp. (Marty Welch via Storyful; iStock)
“We went out to investigate in person and document the occurrence, but we were a bit late,” the university’s Coastal Ecology Lab shared in a Facebook post on July 22.
Student researcher Mark Hoog discussed the “somewhat uncommon event” in a Facebook video.
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“We’ve noticed that it tends to occur during periods of low water, suggesting it may be related to resource availability,” Hoog mentioned.
“It was truly incredible to witness something like that.”
He indicated that this could be a “feeding event” attracting the alligators together “when resources are scarce.”
Although researchers did not witness the actual gathering, they reported seeing its aftermath, according to the Facebook post.
They counted 151 alligators within a mile and a half radius, Hoog noted.
Marty Welch, left, navigated an alligator-infested canal at Stephen C. Foster State Park in the Okefenokee Swamp. (Marty Welch; Marty Welch via Storyful)
“That’s a massive number of alligators,” he remarked.
According to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the Okefenokee Swamp is regarded as one of Georgia’s seven natural wonders and is the largest blackwater wetland in the Southern United States.
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“One of the most renowned residents of the Okefenokee Swamp is the American alligator,” the Stephen C. Foster State Park website states.
“It’s estimated that about 12,000 of these giant reptiles reside within the refuge.”
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Despite the large number of alligators he encountered, Welch felt undeterred in navigating through the canal.
It’s estimated that Stephen C. Foster State Park in Georgia is home to 12,000 American alligators. (iStock)
“We were able to slowly pass through and head out into Billy’s Lake,” he recounted to Fox News Digital.
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Living in Georgia, Welch notes that he’s used to seeing alligators in the area, but he remains awed by the sight.
“It was truly an amazing experience to witness something like that,” he stated.
