Yes, it's real. This picture was taken from a helicopter over Cape Romain in South Carolina. The gator looks to be about 12-14 feet long and that is a deer in his jaws. Not too shabby!
In the spring, we go wade fishing down at Santee-Cooper lakes. If you use a stringer tied to your belt, you better have a head on a swivel neck. The gators will cruise up on you and try and take the fish from the stringer and could pull you with him. It's best not to keep fish if you are going to be wade fishing. I know of several events where the fishermen were drowned by gators.