Moment shark takes a BITE out of alligator floating in the water in South Carolina
A remarkable video depicts an unknown shark biting an alligator near a dock in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Cory Conlon was on vacation to the popular tourist area when he spotted the ruthless reptile swimming near an unknown dock.
As onlookers began to throw fish into the water to feed the alligator, a shark started to circle the alligator.
Eventually, the shark got close enough to the alligator and then attacked it.
A shark (circled) was seen attacking an alligator in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina. Cory Conlon was on vacation when he spotted the gator swimming near a dock
Onlookers threw fish in the water, the shark circled the alligator and attacked it
The alligator became startled, charged at the shark, before it backed away and continued on its way
Scroll down for video
The alligator became startled and started to charge at the shark, before backing away and going about its routine.
'I was surprised to see this so I filmed it with my phone to show family and friends,' Conlon told Storyful.
It's unclear what species of shark it was, but Hilton Head is home to several. Some notable species of sharks that swim in the area include hammerheads, sharpnose, spinners and bonnet-heads
It's unclear what species of shark it was, but Hilton Head is home to several.
Some notable species of sharks that swim in the area include hammerheads, sharpnose, spinners and bonnet-heads, according to the island's website.
The attack depicted in the video may be surprising, but it's not entirely uncommon for the two apex predators to meet and attack one another.
Some interactions have taken place near the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge, located within NASA's Kennedy Space Center, Florida Today reported in 2018.
In 2019, a shark and crocodile were spotted fighting over a piece of raw chicken, also in Australia.
In March, a crocodile was spotted eating a bull shark off the coast of North Queensland, Australia.
Researchers James Nifong and Russell Lowers published a study in 2017 that notes alligators will eat sharks, as well as stingrays.
In their research, Nifong and Lowers confirmed four instances where an American alligator ate a lemon shark, a nurse shark, a bonnethead shark and a Atlantic stingray.There have been some historical accounts of shark versus alligator attacks as well, including one bizarre account that happened in 1877.
Hundreds of alligators huddled near Jupiter, Florida, attracted by fish which were trapped by high tide, National Geographic reported, citing a report from the 19th century sports magazine, The Fishing Gazette.
Spotting an easy meal, hundreds of sharks also arrived in the area.
The two predators eventually attacked one another, with carcasses of both species spotted on beaches 80 miles away, the magazine reported at the time.
Nifong and Lowers also found evidence of other historical fights between sharks and gators, including one from May 1884, when a roughly 10-foot-long shark attacked and killed a seven-foot-long alligator near Pilot Cove, Florida.
HOW SHARKS EARNED THEIR RUTHLESS REPUTATION
As a new study sheds light on the hunting and feeding behavior of sharks, including the dangerous bull shark, these apex predators have long terrified and fascinated humans at the same time.
Their basic design has never really changed over the course of 200million years and they are considered to be complex and intelligent.
Their teeth are fear factor number one, with the great white's teeth growing up to two-and-a-half inches in length.
Their prey are impaled on the pointed teeth of the lower jaw where they saw away sections of the flesh. The serrated edges of the teeth help with this process.
Their teeth are brittle and are constantly breaking off but are also constantly regrowing and on average there are 15 rows of teeth present in the mouth at one time.
Sharks are the most efficient predators on earth. Their basic design has never really changed over the course of 200million years
Their speed is fear factor number two.
They are very fast in the water compared to humans with the mako shark able to reach an incredible 60mph in bursts.
The great white can reach speeds of 25mph.
By comparison, 5mph is the fastest a human being can reach.
Bull sharks, commonly found in warm waters, are likely responsible for the majority of near-shore shark attacks, including biting other species.
A shark's power and size terrifies us, too.
The great white shark can grow up to 20 feet and while it has no particular taste for humans even an exploratory bite is enough to cut a man in half.
Most sharks release a human after its first bite but sometimes, that's all it take to kill a person.
However, sharks have far more reason to be afraid of humans. We kill up to a million of them a year, often just cutting off their fins to make into soup and throwing the rest of the shark back into the water, where it starves or drowns.
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