An alligator basked in shallow ocean water in Dauphin Island, Alabama (Picture: Facebook)

While some beachgoers may be fearing sharks, others have witnessed a predator they never expected to find by the sea.

Matt Harvill and his girlfriend were enjoying Dauphin Island in Alabama when they saw a massive, freshwater alligator in the shallow part of the ocean.

‘The things you never think you’ll see,’ wrote Harvill in a Facebook post on Monday.

‘First time seeing a gator on Dauphin Island. Heading towards the west end be careful y’all.’

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A couple spotted a freshwater alligator in shallow oceanwater in Dauphin Island, Alabama.