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Some Facts About Sea Snakes: What to Do When You See One While Surfing

Some Facts About Sea Snakes: What to Do When You See One While Surfing

If you’ve surfed all your life in the cold waters of the Atlantic, you’re fortunate never to have encountered a sea snake. But if you’re planning your first surfing trip somewhere where the waters are warmer, you just might have the opportunity to see this species, but hopefully, it's not up close. That’s because they thrive in tropical waters, like the Indian Ocean, or in seas in Southeast Asia and Australia. Like their land-based cousins, sea snakes cannot tolerate cold temperatures.

Snakes are often mischaracterized as dangerous creatures. However, out of the 4,000 species worldwide, only a fourth possess toxic venom that can kill animals and humans. That reputation, unfortunately, also extends to their cousins who live in the sea. But the truth is that an encounter with a sea snake isn’t necessarily terrifying or dangerous. As long as you know how to treat them, at the very least, it will be an awkward encounter between two species partaking in the benefits of the ocean experience.

In this week’s post, we’re featuring sea snakes because, on the 16th of July, the world celebrates World Snake Day. It’s not a popular celebration; only wildlife conservationists and snake collectors seem to know about it. Well, that is true, as well as some snake-loving areas in India.

While it isn’t a recognized holiday, it’s still important, particularly for snake conservation efforts. World Snake Day can be used as a tool to educate and inform people about how to deal with snakes, whom to call, and what resources are available to them.

Sea snakes, especially, aren’t often highlighted, which makes them even more misrepresented in public opinion. So, to celebrate this day, here’s what you should know about them.

Sea Snake Venom is More Toxic Than Land Snakes

Beaked Sea Snake

The venom of the beaked sea snake is a potent cocktail of neurotoxins, making it one of the most dangerous snakes in the ocean.
Photo by KatyaB on Depositphotos

Let’s get this out of the way first. Yes, they’re very venomous; some even more than their terrestrial cousins, like the King Cobra. The Beaked Sea Snake, for instance, has a venom so toxic that 3 drops of it can kill eight persons outright. Scientists believe this is because of an evolutionary adaptation that allows them to hunt prey easily in a marine environment.

Unlike land snakes, which have the luxury of waiting for their prey to die from their venom, marine snakes need to have a quick-acting venom so that their prey won’t escape to deeper depths where the snakes can’t follow or get snatched up by another sea predator instead.

Other researchers also say this is because sea snakes evolved from a highly venomous land ancestor in Australia. As it so happens, the world’s five most venomous snakes live on the Australian continent, and if this hypothesis is true, then it’s no wonder why sea snakes are very venomous.

Sea Snakes are Less Likely to Bite Because They’re Gentle Creatures

Yellow-bellied Sea Snake

The yellow-bellied sea snake is a gentle creature that is less likely to bite unless harassed.
Photo by kengriffiths.live.com on Depositphotos

And yet, despite their deadly venom, it’s a rare chance when one gets killed from a sea snake bite. That’s because they’re retiring creatures. They are timid and would rather swim away from humans and other animals. Unlike the cobra, which can be aggressive when threatened, a sea snake would instead find ways to slip away into quieter waters.

And even if they were to bite, they rarely deliver the venom. Their fangs are shaped differently than their land cousins; they are shorter and easily break off. It wouldn’t penetrate a neoprene suit.

In general, sea snake bites are rare; only 3% have been recorded to be fatal.

Sea Snakes Can Die of Thirst in the Ocean

Sea snakes can’t go on land to drink fresh water. That’s why they rely on rainwater that falls on the ocean's surface. That doesn’t mean they don’t swallow seawater occasionally. However, they can tolerate it because they have evolved glands under their tongue that allow them to expel away the salt from their prey or their drinking water.

The California Sea Snake isn’t Really Endemic to California

It lives in the open tropical ocean. The climate change brought about by El Niño has resulted in warmer waters in the Pacific Ocean. Rising sea surface temperatures, accompanied by shifting ocean currents, have enabled this yellow-bellied sea snake to find its way to our part of the world.

A Sea Krait is Not a True Sea Snake

Sea Krait

Sea kraits have thick, banded bodies, whereas sea snakes are more slender with flattened tails that aid in swimming.
Photo by Jong Marshes on Unsplash

The ocean is home to two kinds of snakes: sea kraits and true sea snakes. Both live in tropical waters, but their bodies are formed differently.

True sea snakes have flattened, ribbon-like bodies with oarlike tails. This makes them efficient swimmers but lousy land crawlers. Sea kraits, on the other hand, have cylindrical bodies like terrestrial snakes but still have flat tails.

Sea kraits lay eggs on land before going back to the ocean. Sea snakes, except for one species, lay eggs or give birth to live young underwater. They’re not on any traditional culinary menu, but they can be eaten if you happen to be shipwrecked on an empty island or cast off in the middle of the calm ocean. Or so this website says. Just be careful about the fangs and the toxin, though. Snakes have a bite reflex. Even if they’re dead, their jaws can still snap and inject venom into the bite.

What to Do When You See One While Surfing

Sea snakes and kraits are gentle and beautiful creatures. If you see one swimming or crawling on the shore, leave them be. Appreciate the variety of colors on their bodies but learn to respect their space.

They have no desire to bite you as long as you don’t do anything to harm them. Fishermen in trawlers have been gathering them off their trawlers and throwing them back to the sea for a long time, with rarely a fatal incident.

So, as you ride on that surfboard on warmer, tropical waters, keep a friendly lookout for these undeservedly maligned sea creatures. They’re harmless as long as you don’t disturb them.

Like you, they deserve to swim along their own spaces in the vast, wide waters of the ocean.

And also, if you’re looking for some eco-friendly surfing gear, check us out.

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