Visitors expect sweeping bay views and historic cellblocks when they step onto Alcatraz Island — not a swimming coyote.
But that’s exactly what happened late Sunday afternoon, when a tourist showed staff a video of a coyote paddling through San Francisco Bay and hauling itself onto Alcatraz’s rocky shoreline. Employees quickly alerted rangers, though the animal had already vanished by the time crews searched the area.
Wildlife experts say the sighting is unprecedented. While coyotes are common across San Francisco and Marin parklands, officials with the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, which manages Alcatraz, confirmed this is the first documented case of a coyote reaching the island.
How it got there remains a mystery. Strong bay currents following recent storms may have swept the animal off course, though biologists say coyotes are capable — and surprisingly strategic — dispersers. Researchers from University of California, Berkeley and the California Academy of Sciences note that young coyotes will sometimes take extreme routes to establish new territory, especially during mating season. Swimming, while risky, may even seem safer than crossing busy freeways.
The coyote appeared exhausted in the video, but experts say it could survive on Alcatraz, which has abundant rodents and nesting seabirds and currently few natural predators.
Whether the animal is still hiding somewhere on the island, makes a return swim, or quietly disappears remains unknown. For now, the brief encounter has offered a rare reminder of just how adaptable — and unpredictable — Northern California wildlife can be.