Holden Beach visitor snaps pics of 10-foot gator

"We saw something in the water float by and it looked like a tree stump," Luke Prevatte wrote in a message to WRAL News. He estimated the animal at about 10 feet long.

In North Carolina, gators can be as long as 13 feet and weigh up to 500 pounds.

"We first saw its eyes and snout, then it whipped its tail up and showed how big it really was," Prevatte wrote.

Prevatte first spotted the gator while fishing off a dock on the Intracoastal Waterway.

He said a call to the state Wildlife Resources Commission revealed that the animal was a familiar sight in the area.

Don't be bait: What to do if you see an alligator in NC

Alligators are common to the estuaries of the Outer Banks. It's most common to see gators along lakes, swamps and rivers. Wildlife officials say that people should avoid feeding animals that live on the water with alligators — like ducks, geese, fish and turtles. Feeding, harassing or harming alligators is dangerous, and a violation of North Carolina law. Killing an alligator could cost you a $500 fine and 2 to 24 months in jail.