How Alligators Survive in a Frozen Pond Will Shock You The Shallotte River Swamp park in Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, shared a video showing alligators with their nostrils poking through the ice to survive the freezing temperatures. These reptiles are in a "state of brumation", in which their metabolism and breathing slow down. According to experts, alligators can live in water as cold as
40 degrees.