Watch: Hundreds of glowing gator eyes leer at scientists in Georgia swamp

Rare, mysterious gathering of hundreds of alligators in Georgia park

Hundreds of alligators were spotted mysteriously congregating for one day in a southern Georgia swamp this summer, leaving scientists perplexed.

FARGO, Ga. – Hundreds of alligators were spotted mysteriously congregating for one day in a southern Georgia swamp this summer, leaving scientists perplexed.

In the rare sighting, about 300 alligators gathered in a boat basin between Stephen C. Foster State Park and Billy’s Lake within the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

The reptiles began congregating in the channel on the morning of July 26 and had dispersed by the following morning, according to officials with the University of Georgia Coastal Ecology Lab.

Pictures of the congregation at night show the eyes of hundreds of alligators peering through the darkness and casting an eerie glow.

This phenomenon involves a part of the alligator’s eye known as the tapetum lucidum, according to UGA scientists. The tapetum lucidum reflects light into photoreceptors in the eye, giving alligators the ability to see in the dark.

If this sounds familiar to you, it’s because the tapetum lucidum can also be found in the eyes of cats, which are also capable of seeing in low light conditions.

Why the alligators congregated

During that roughly 24-hour congregation, the alligators remained on the bottom of the waterway during the hottest part of the day, and only came up to the surface for air and when the air temperature cooled off.

A number of theories abound to explain the congregation, which only occurs 1-2 times per year and usually during the summer, according to UGA scientists. However, each theory seems to require more information.

One theory is related to the availability of resources, particularly food, as the alligators were spotted feeding in the morning. UGA officials noted that little feeding occurred throughout the day.

FILE: An alligator suns on a log in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

(Larry A. Woodward / USFWS / FOX Weather)

There is also a possibility that numerous fish may have been driven into the channel or spawned there, but scientists said more research is needed to confirm this.

Another theory involves water level and temperature. UGA scientists noted that alligators will move to deeper water to escape warm temperatures, as the water temperature at the bottom of the deep waterway is cooler than at the surface.

However, nearby Billy's Lake is much deeper than the boat basin, and yet the alligators remained in the basin, officials said. Additionally, the alligators could have congregated in the cooler waters in forested areas of the park, but instead chose the basin.

An aerial view of a water trail at the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.

(Michael Lusk / USFWS)

UGA officials noted that the congregation did not happen due to mating season, as alligator mating season occurs in the spring from April to the beginning of June.

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An estimated 15,000 alligators live in the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge, according to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.