“Big Daddy” was seen crossing the Long Cove Club Driving Range the morning of April 23, 2019.
Recently a photo taken by our Course Superintendent, Ashley Davis caused quite a bit of stir around the community, so we thought we would share some interesting facts about alligators with you!
1. Hilton Head Island lagoons and creeks are home to alligators. In fact, American Alligators are native to South Carolina and have been here for millions of years! Alligators primarily live in fresh or brackish water, so they can be seen in the Hilton Head marshes from time to time.
2. You will often see alligators sunning on the lagoon banks during warm, sunny days.
3. It is illegal to feed or harass alligators and it is extremely dangerous! Please keep your distance from these prehistoric creatures.
4. Dogs and cats are similar in size to the natural prey of an alligator – do not let your pets near the lagoons and always keep them on a leash.
5. Alligator mating season in Hilton Head Island is April through June. Female alligators will lay 30-50 eggs in June and July, which will hatch usually in late August or early September. For the first year of an alligator’s life, its mother ill defend and stay near her hatchlings according to SCDNR. It is important to never approach a mother alligator and her babies.
6. Residents of Long Cove Club coexist with all of our alligators, however if an alligator poses a threat to our Community, we have professional partners who will come in, evaluate the alligator and remove if necessary.
This iconic Hilton Head Photo was published in the March 3, 1962 edition of Saturday Evening Post.
Hilton Head Island has a rich history of iconic alligators roaming in between our lagoons and waterways. In 1956 a young Yale graduate named Charles Fraser bought 5,000 acres of land and began developing Sea Pines Plantation. Fraser’s development model highlighted the Island’s natural beaches, marshes and forests. On March 3, 1962 the Saturday Evening Post published a story about Sea Pines including a picture of Fraser walking beside “Albert” the alligator – a picture that helped put Hilton Head Island on the map and changed the Island forever. In 2010, the Community Foundation of the Lowcountry’s Public Art Fund Committee commissioned the design and casting of a life sized bronze sculpture of Charles Fraser walking with an alligator and was placed in Compass Rose Park on the south end of Hilton Head Island.
Published April 23, 2019
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