A crocodile swimming just off the shoreline at Lowdermilk Beach in Naples left a group of beachgoers rattled, with witnesses describing swimmers who stayed in the water even as the reptile passed close by. Some people scrambled for the sand, including one man who ran out carrying both of his children, while others lingered in the surf just beyond the animal.
The sighting, reported Monday, was detailed by WINK News, which confirmed with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission that the animal was a crocodile rather than an alligator. Witness Ralph Prezioso told the outlet that a young man ran out of the water carrying his two children, one in each hand, while other swimmers remained in the water on both sides of the crocodile. Prezioso said people were in the water in front of the animal and beyond it, even as the scene unfolded.
Beachgoers Describe a Tense Few Minutes in the Surf
Prezioso said he eventually returned to the beach himself, but told the station he hoped not to see the reptile again, adding that he would much rather spot a manatee, which he considers a far safer animal to share the water with. Giselle and Luna Spasojevic, who were also at the beach, said they tried to warn people to get out of the water. Giselle Spasojevic described the moment as nerve-wracking, telling the outlet that she was shaking and her voice cracked as she yelled at people to clear the surf, saying she was scared for them.
Footage of the crocodile spread online following the sighting, according to the station's report. The encounter left both Spasojevic and her companion shaken, even after the animal had moved on from the immediate area near swimmers.
How to Tell a Crocodile From an Alligator
Florida wildlife officials note that the state is the only place in the world where alligators and crocodiles coexist in the wild, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. The agency says the two species can be told apart by their snouts: alligators have a rounded, U-shaped snout, while crocodiles have a narrower, V-shaped head. American crocodiles generally inhabit coastal regions of southern Florida, the agency notes, which includes stretches of shoreline like those around Naples.
The species has come a long way from the brink of disappearing in the state. FWC estimates put Florida's American crocodile population as low as fewer than 300 animals in 1975, with just 10 to 20 nests recorded annually at the time, according to the agency's status page. Today, the commission estimates there are between 1,500 and 2,000 crocodiles statewide, not including hatchlings, with more than 100 nests documented each year. The species is still listed as threatened in Florida, though its federal status was downgraded to threatened following that recovery.
Growing Numbers, Growing Encounters
That rebound has come with a tradeoff. FWC has said that as crocodile numbers rise in areas where people also live, the state has seen a growing number of complaints about problem crocodiles, according to Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. Separately, the agency's research on crocodile translocation notes that human-crocodile conflicts have increased alongside both the species' recovery and Florida's expanding human population, as reported by Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
Collier County has had other reptile encounters in recent memory, though it is not established whether any involved the same animal seen at Lowdermilk Beach. A gator was spotted swimming at Lowdermilk Beach on a separate Sunday afternoon, drawing attention from beachgoers, as reported by Gulf Coast News Now. In August 2025, a woman hiking at Bird Rookery Swamp Trail in Naples was taken to a nearby hospital following an alligator incident, as reported by Naples Daily News. And a Naples resident once found an alligator sunbathing on their dock in Moorings Bay, though the animal was gone by the time police arrived, according to the same Gulf Coast News Now outlet.
What FWC Recommends
FWC advises people not to feed or approach either alligators or crocodiles, warning that feeding the animals is illegal and dangerous. Anyone concerned about a sighting is urged to keep a safe distance and contact the agency's Nuisance Alligator Hotline at 866-FWC-GATOR (866-392-4286).
