The incredible image of the turtle riding a 3m alligator as if it were a horse

A travel blogger from Florida, US, on Monday caught sight of something in Tampa he’s never seen before: a turtle riding an alligator.

Jef Henninger posted a photo of the strange encounter on his Facebook page, Traveling with Jef. “You know you are in #florida when you see a turtle riding an alligator around a pond like a horse,” Henninger captioned the photo.

One tweeter wrote “Hitchhikers Florida,” while another said “Ooohhhhh FL” with a laughing and crying emoji.

Henninger confirmed to Insider that he’s seen turtles near alligators before, but never on one. He said the alligator, about 10 feet long, ended up stopping near the edge of the pond and the turtle continued to sit on its back. When Henninger left and returned an hour later, both animals were still in the same area, but the turtle was now on a log.

Henninger told Newsweek that it’s not uncommon to see alligators around other animals, adding, “Most have a natural fear of humans, but other than that, crocodiles normally share their space with birds, turtles and other animals.”

According to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, theAlligators are considered opportunistic eaters, which means they eat many types of prey items whenever they are available. This includes fish, snakes, birds, small mammals and yes, even turtles.

“That’s why it’s always interesting to see alligators so close to turtles and birds. Those animals have no idea that they could be their dinner at any moment,” Henninger told Newsweek.

Alligator activity has also increased recently in Florida, as they are usually most active during mating season, April through June, so local residents often know to watch out for them. State authorities have warned residents to be especially careful around ponds and lakes.