A group of beachgoers in Panama City, Florida recently got the surprise of their lives when an alligator suddenly appeared on the beach!

The alligator could be seen swimming to shore in St. Andrews State Park before walking out onto the beach to get some sun.

It seemed to everyone like the alligator wanted to enjoy the sun just like the rest of us do!

Photos of the alligator’s beach day were posted to social media, where they quickly went viral.

There are over one million alligators living in Florida, and they have recently been making headlines by appearing on land.

Unfortunately, alligator attacks are on the rise, with population and city development into their habitats being contributing factors.

Researchers said that human activity is the only cause for the rise in alligator attacks.

One source said that gator bites in Florida “have been on the rise, increasing from an average of just one every three years between 1988 and 1999 to about seven per year between 2000 and 2016.”

Because of this, the Florida Wildlife Commission is ramping up efforts to keep the public safe around gators.

The FWC has advised people to never feed the alligators, as this is illegal and causes alligators to associate people with food and stop distancing themselves.

If you do run into an alligator, you should keep your distance, because they are quicker than you think.

Finally, swim only in designated swimming areas during daylight hours, since alligators are most active between dusk and dawn.

“We’re stepping up our actions when it comes to gators because, of course, public safety is paramount,” said FWC spokeswoman Karen Parker.

“If you’ve got a body of water in Florida, there’s a good chance there’s an alligator in it.”