Port Royal<\/p>\n
Big heads and broad snouts poked from the green duck weed, followed by a back-and-forth of growling so intense it caused ripples on the surface of the Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal.<\/p>\n
Visitors standing just a few feet away on a boardwalk that winds through the wetlands couldn\u2019t believe what they were seeing: An alligator courtship dance as old as time, but rarely seen from this close.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ll never see it again,\u201d said Scot Clark, who took video of the stunning mating spectacle that took place in broad daylight at the popular Port Royal attraction. \u201cIt was incredible.\u201d<\/p>\n
Alligators perform a prehistoric mating ritual at Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal Wednesday. By arching their backs and lifting their tail and snouts, the gators are able to project their bellows across the water. Scot Clark <\/p>\n
Clark was among four lucky board members of the Friends of Cypress Wetlands, a not-for-profit that promotes and protects the wetlands, who were on hand when the gators unexpectedly started vocalizing at about 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday in front of crowd of visitors.<\/p>\n
A large male and smaller female poked their heads and tails out of the water and arched their backs before emitting a low-frequency bellow across the wetlands where the squawks of nesting birds usually dominate.<\/p>\n
A third alligator about 100 feet away joined in. \u201cThere were three alligators that were communicating,\u201d Clark said.<\/p>\n
A group of about 50 kindergartners from Broad River Elementary School in Beaufort also witnessed the unique wildlife exhibition.<\/p>\n
\u201cAt one point they said, \u2018It\u2019s like they\u2019re hungry, their tummies are growling,\u2019 to put it in a kindergarten\u2019s perspective,\u201d said Jill Moore of Moore2Life, which leads tours of Cypress Wetlands.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Moore\u2019s colleague, Mollie Kinard, was leading the kindergarten group at the time. Moore was leading another tour in different part of the wetlands and caught the tail end.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s an amazing thing to see,\u201d Moore said. \u201cTheir head and tails raise up, and you actually see the water vibrate almost like it\u2019s boiling before you hear the noise.\u201d<\/p>\n
As of Sunday, posts on the Friends of Cypress Wetlands<\/a> Facebook page had prompted 424 shares and 123 comments.<\/p>\n \u201cHow fortunate,\u201d one person associated with the school children tour could be heard saying<\/a> as the gators growled and glided through the green duck week coating the surface of the wetland. \u201cOn a field trip?\u201d<\/p>\n Alligators are mating<\/a> this time of year. During the spring courtship, they emit deep growls known as bellows that send ripples across the water and shivers down the spines of those within earshot.<\/p>\n But the public cavorting by the usually stealthy ambush predators isn\u2019t often seen, even if the unmistakable bellows are heard, especially during the middle of the day, Moore said. The gators tend to be more active in the mornings or at night, she said, during mating season.<\/p>\n \u201cA lot of times people hear it and aren\u2019t sure what it is,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n Alligators do not have vocal cords, so the bellowing is a guttural sound and produced when they lift their head and tail out of the water and force air out through their lungs, creating low-frequency vibrations, according to Pro Sound Effects<\/a>. The technique is sometimes called \u201cwater dancing\u201d because it makes the water \u201cdance\u201d and water droplets appear to bounce off their backs.<\/p>\n It\u2019s used by males and females in the spring to attract a mate. Males also bellow to ward off competitors from their territory.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n The chances of seeing alligators displaying the behavior is low, Moore says, and about the same as witnessing dolphins strand feeding.<\/a> That\u2019s when dolphins herd fish to the shore and then hoist themselves onto land to feed, briefly stranding themselves before wiggling back into the water.<\/p>\n In this instance, the alligator show occurred between 11:30 a.m. and noon when the boardwalk was teeming with visitors.<\/p>\n \u201cTo be there just at this window is really special,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n \u201cDating and mating\u201d will continue through this month, she said. The females will watch over the eggs, and hatchlings will appear at the end of summer.<\/p>\n The Cypress Wetlands, Moore notes, does not see many alligator hatchlings because it does not have much dry, raised grassy areas needed for nesting, Moore said. Predators, including alligators, are a problem, too.<\/p>\n When the bellowing was over, the female was seen swimming away. The male was following.<\/p>\n \u201cWe would hope that it was a successful courtship,\u201d Moore said.<\/p>\n This story was originally published May 3, 2026 at 2:29 PM.<\/p>\n Related Stories from Hilton Head Island Packet<\/p>\n Those who were lucky enough to be at the Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal Wednesday at around noon witnessed a scene rarely witnessed: Alligators bellowing in a mating ritual. Scot Clark <\/p>\n
Two alligators perform a mating ritual at Cypress Wetlands in Port Royal Wednesday. Sherry Miller <\/p>\n