OCHOPEE, Fla. — One photographer navigating the Florida waterways got a one-on-one interview with an alligator last week.
On April 27, Bobby Wummer posted a video of a gator encounter he shot on his GoPro camera near Ochopee, Florida. He said he used a 12-foot extension pole to get close to the mouthy reptile and the alligator got curious.
The alligator took a bite at the GoPro and the camera finds itself inside the jaws of the reptile.
"This was not done intentionally, I didn’t think that he would actually lunge up and bite down on the cam," he said in a Facebook post.
The photographer was able to get his camera back with only minor damage, he said.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has a list of resources to help keep people and pets safe from alligators.
Officials say you should swim only during the day and in designated areas. Pet owners should also keep pets on a leash and at a safe distance from the water's edge.