Local Kayaker Comes Across Alligator on Guadalupe Riverbank

I saw this on social media the other day and put my inner tube right back in storage.

I know there are alligators around Texas, but I assumed the majority of them are spotted a little more East from here. Neil Griffin caught some up close and personal footage of an alligator after coming across the 4-footer with his kayaking group of 30 on Guadalupe River in Comal County.

Griffin saw his opportunity to pull out a phone when he realized what he was looking at in front him.

"Just saw something on the side of the bank kind of move," said the 23-year-old Austinite. “It kind of took my eyes a second to focus," before he realized, "I'm looking at an alligator."

While alligators aren't completely out of the norm in Comal County, they're still pretty rare in area.

Texas Parks and Wildlife spokesperson Steve Lightfoot (talk about a perfect name to dangerous animals #amirite?) said it's terribly unusual: "You're not going to see large numbers of them here but they do occur."

Just be mindful of the nature that surrounds you when you enjoy the cool water in the river. Guadalupe River is a popular spot in the summer to take tubes and relax.