We’ve all come across giant reptiles living in Florida, right? I can’t be the only one who’s spotted numerous alligators basking in the sun along I-75 toward the Gulf, nor had to fish a giant iguana out of my swimming pool. And while two-foot-long lizards might give me the heebie-jeebies, nothing has prepared me for the massive crocodile sighting in the Florida Everglades recently. Just a short week ago, a 14-foot American Crocodile, dubbed “Croczilla,” was spotted by a Wildlife photographer, Kym Clark, and this might just be the biggest one I’ve seen yet.

Wildlife enthusiast Kym Clark had a thrilling encounter with one of the Everglades' most elusive residents, the colossal 14-foot-long crocodile known as Croczilla.
Flickr ryanacandee
This remarkable sighting marked her second rendezvous with what she described as the "largest wild American Crocodile documented in Everglades National Park," potentially claiming the title for the entire state of Florida.
Clark chanced upon Croczilla soaking up the Florida sun near Nine Mile Pond, with her initial encounter occurring in April 2023.
Flickr Sergey Yeliseev
The status of crocodiles in Florida has evolved over the years. Once endangered with just a few hundred in 1975, the American crocodile population in Florida has surged to an estimated 1,000 to 2,500, marking a conservation triumph, according to the Florida Fish & Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

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Coincidentally, this increased population has led to more frequent sightings.
Flickr Jim Mullhaupt
While these creatures are typically shy and averse to conflict with humans, recent reports include sightings of a 9-foot crocodile in Pompano Beach.
Just keep in mind, these reptiles predominantly inhabit brackish and saltwater environments like ponds, coves, and tidal creeks, or inland freshwater habitats.
Flickr ryanacandee
Despite the recent frequency in sightings in Florida, confrontations between American crocodiles and people remain exceptionally rare in Florida, as affirmed by the FWC.

Check out Kym Clark’s Instagram Photo to see Croczilla up close and personal!

Do you have any alligator or crocodile sightings in Florida that you want to share? Sound off in the comments section! Also, if you want to spend the night close to wildlife in Florida, then make sure to check out Expedia.com for Babcock Ranch Preserve accomodations!

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