Florida alligator weighing over 900 pounds could have been 90 years old when caught

split image showing a huge alligator hanging up with the right-hand image showing a hunter holding the alligator's mouth open
The enormous crocodile was the second heaviest ever caught in Florida. (Image credit: Capt. Kevin Brotz)

A huge alligator weighing almost 1,000 pounds (455 kilograms) has been caught in Florida — the second heaviest in state history. The supersized reptile, which was likely between 60 and 90 years old, measured over 13 feet long (4 meters) when hunters hauled it in on Aug. 26. 

U.S. Coast Guard Capt. Kevin Brotz, a hunting guide from Florida Gator Hunting and Get Bit Outdoors, was with friends on a lake near Orlando when they noticed a huge alligator (Alligator mississippiensis) swimming away from them, he told Field and Stream. They spent around four hours battling with the alligator, and at one point it leapt 3 to 4 feet (0.9 to 1.2 m) out of the water. "It looked like a blue whale when it breached," Brotz told the site. 

Related: 120-year-old Cassius is pushing limit of crocodile longevity — and he's got 'years to come,' expert says

After pulling the alligator on board, they killed it and took it to shore where it was weighed and measured. It came in at 920 pounds (417 kg) and 13.06 feet. That makes it the second heaviest ever caught in Florida. The heaviest weighed 1,043 pounds (473 kg) and was caught in 1989. 

The alligator, which was caught in a lake near Orlando, was over 13 feet long.  (Image credit: Capt. Kevin Brotz)

Brotz told Live Science in an email that catching alligators of this size is extremely rare. "I've guided hundreds — if not close to a thousand gator hunts — and this one is absolutely in a league of its own."

Florida is home to an estimated 1.3 million gators. This one was killed as part of Florida's statewide alligator harvest program, which has run since 1998 and helps to keep the population in check. 

The hunting season generally runs between August and November. Around 7,000 permits are issued each year, with the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission issuing tags that authorize holders to kill two alligators. In 2022, 7,804 alligators were killed as part of the program. 

Brotz's catch follows the capture of an 802-pound (364 kg) alligator that was 14 feet and 3 inches (4.34 meters) long — the longest ever caught in Mississippi. This alligator was killed during Mississippi's 10-day alligator hunting season.

Hannah Osborne
Editor

Hannah Osborne is the planet Earth and animals editor at Live Science. Prior to Live Science, she worked for several years at Newsweek as the science editor. Before this she was science editor at International Business Times U.K. Hannah holds a master's in journalism from Goldsmith's, University of London.

  • waveslayer
    admin said:
    The enormous alligator was over 13 feet long and weighed 920 pounds — the second heaviest ever to be caught in Florida.

    Florida alligator weighing over 900 pounds could have been 90 years old when caught : Read more
    thats sickening, how does one feel pride in killing of anything? big game hunting is BS
    Reply
  • Nashsci
    waveslayer said:
    thats sickening, how does one feel pride in killing of anything? big game hunting is BS
    Agree it is a shame, to survive 90 ish years and have these nitwits kill it for sport. If it was attacking their pet or a person then killing may be justified. Guy acts like he killed it with only a knife, big deal, you shot it from a safe distance, your the man?
    Reply
  • miles t ranter
    waveslayer said:
    thats sickening, how does one feel pride in killing of anything? big game hunting is BS
    I totally agree. Murder is what I call it.
    Reply
  • joman50
    I'm troubled by this. Dumb redneck sh*t. Im tired of dumb rednecks.
    Reply
  • SeaK
    I don't understand why someone would kill an animal this old for pleasure. Very barbaric.
    Reply
  • realdeal88
    Nashsci said:
    Agree it is a shame, to survive 90 ish years and have these nitwits kill it for sport. If it was attacking their pet or a person then killing may be justified. Guy acts like he killed it with only a knife, big deal, you shot it from a safe distance, your the man?
    Jimmy said:
    Here's the number of the man who is responsible Capt Kevin Brotz 4074483635
    I agree with every comment I felt like this was no difference from a blk person hanging from a tree and all the white ppl standing around cheering them on mother nature will have its last laugh if it's not native Americans they killing and stripping them of there land its the animals just sad
    Reply
  • realdeal88
    And whoever coverd this horrendous story like it was a win u 2 will answer to mother nature when the time comes
    Reply
  • realdeal88
    And it's a alligator not a crocodile know ur animals whoever is covering this story
    Reply
  • Zubenelgenubi
    Sadly, it's VERY obvious that most who dislike removing the giant from the ecosystem know nothing about the effect it could have on other animal, bird and fish populations!! Hunting has a scientific reason!!
    Also, from the article, I'm very certain that this gator was killed BEFORE it was hauled aboard the boat!!
    Reply
  • waveslayer
    Zubenelgenubi said:
    Sadly, it's VERY obvious that most who dislike removing the giant from the ecosystem know nothing about the effect it could have on other animal, bird and fish populations!! Hunting has a scientific reason!!
    Also, from the article, I'm very certain that this gator was killed BEFORE it was hauled aboard the boat!!
    Seems the eco system was fine for 90 years with him, but ya you go ahead and claim your scientific reasons for killing a 90 year old gator that was minding his own buisness and I guess you felt you had to tell everyone the obvious that the gator was killed pryer to being on the boat, if the gator had gotten on the boat then the killing may be justifiable but as the article said they saw it as it swam away...no, no scientific reasons just pure idiocy in the killing this animal
    Reply