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A man filmed a coyote swimming to Alcatraz Island on Jan. 11, marking the first documented sighting of the animal on the California island that houses the Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
Park rangers searched the island but were unable to locate the animal after the coyote completed its swim
Experts say strong currents or territorial dispersal may explain the over-mile-long swim from San Francisco to the island
A coyote was spotted swimming to Alcatraz Island on Jan. 11, marking what Golden Gate National Parks officials say is the first documented sighting of the animal at the historic San Francisco landmark that holds the historic Alcatraz Federal Penitentiary.
According to SFGate, the coyote was seen reaching the island’s rocky southern shoreline near the Agave Trail, where a visitor’s video captured the animal panting and shivering after the long swim. The coyote then disappeared from view, and park rangers were unable to locate the animal in a subsequent search.
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Coyote(s) in Bosque del Apache national wildlife refuge.
Aidan Moore, a guest relations employee for Alcatraz City Cruises, said he was alerted to the sighting by a visitor and initially doubted the claim until he reviewed the footage. “I didn’t believe them to start with,” Moore told SFGate. He immediately radioed the sighting to Alcatraz park rangers.
Moore later spoke with the boat’s captain, who reported unusually strong currents in the bay the afternoon of Jan 11, likely caused by a recent storm runoff. Those currents were estimated to be moving at up to 9 or 10 miles per hour, conditions that could have swept the animal toward the island. “I suspect he fell into the water chasing something and was swept away,” Moore said.
“He didn’t look like he was in very good condition, which I’m not surprised by given the harrowing experience,” added Moore, who noted on social media that the island is “a mile and a quarter” away from the mainland.
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A coyote going into the water to cross a slough.
Julian Espinoza, a spokesperson for the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, confirmed the sighting to SFGate and said coyotes had never been documented on Alcatraz Island before the 2026 spotting. “Coyotes can be commonly seen throughout our San Francisco and Marin parklands, but never before on Alcatraz,” shared Espinoza.
PEOPLE reached out to Golden Gate National Recreation Area for further comment on the incredible feat.
Christine Wilkinson, a conservation scientist and carnivore ecologist, told SFGate the coyote may have been attempting to disperse in search of new territory, a behavior that commonly occurs during mating season. She suggested the animal could have originated from San Francisco’s Coit Tower area or from other nearby regions of the bay.
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Wilkinson noted that the nearby highway (Interstate 280) can also pose a significant barrier for coyotes attempting to move south, and vehicle strikes are a leading cause of mortality for the species, making water crossings a possible, albeit risky, alternative.
As of writing, the coyote’s current location remains unknown. Officials say it is unclear whether the animal returned to the mainland, moved to another part of the island, or was swept back into the bay.
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