Alligator ‘smiles and waves’ for the camera in ‘shot of a lifetime.’ See the photo

Alligators aren’t known to be the friendliest creatures.

But a Florida photographer managed to snap a picture of one appearing to smile and wave at her camera.

“This was a lucky shot of this little guy trying to climb up on a dock,” the photographer, Melissa Chadwell, wrote in a caption on the photo, which she shared in the Facebook group Alligators of Florida on June 14. “Too cute!”

The photo shows the small alligator just as it’s lifting one of its front feet into the air with its mouth wide open.

Chadwell did not respond to a request for comment from McClatchy News.

The picture garnered more than 2,400 likes on Facebook and hundreds of comments.

“Hi little gator!” wrote Kathee Walters. “I love his wave.”

“Only in Florida will a gator wave down someone walking past them,” wrote Lynn Pel.

Amazing!!” wrote LeeAnn Mitchell. “That’s a shot of a lifetime. He truly looks happy to see you and saying hi!”

Chadwell told Fox 35 Orlando that the photo was taken in Volusia County.

Alligators are found throughout Florida, and encounters between the reptiles and people are becoming more common, according to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission. They live mainly in freshwater lakes, slow-moving rivers and wetlands.

Volusia County is in east-central Florida on the coast. The county seat is DeLand.

This story was originally published June 20, 2023 at 12:19 PM.