A yellow-bellied sea snake recently washed ashore in Orange County — the first time the venomous serpent has been seen in California since 2018, according to social media video.
The animal is not a danger to people as long they don’t handle them, experts say.
Cellphone camera footage broadcast by CBS Los Angeles shows the snake on a beach at night and someone trying to use what appears to be the base of a palm frond to pick it up and toss it back into the water. The footage was shot in Crystal Cove, according to the news station.
Seeing such a slithery tourist this far north is rare but not unheard of. There were two other sightings of the species in Orange County in January and November of 2018, said Greg Pauly, a reptile expert with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County. There have been six confirmed sightings in California since 1972, he said.
Friday’s reported sighting would be particularly unusual because of how early in the year it occurred. In previous cases, the snakes washed ashore when water temperatures dropped to a point that they became sick and lethargic, Pauly said. He is now trying to get in touch with the people who saw the snake to obtain more video and verify the sighting.
Other uncommon marine animals have wandered into California waters this year. Fishermen recorded a hammerhead shark off the Malibu Pier last month; and another was seen off Laguna Beach this month, the Orange County Register reported.
A whale shark was spotted between Malibu and Santa Barbara Island earlier this month. And the Natural History Museum announced Wednesday that a longfinned bigeye fish, normally found only from Baja California to Peru, was caught off the Venice Fishing Pier.
The sea snake’s possible sighting is likely connected to this summer’s warm ocean water, said Hayley Crowell, a snake expert at San Diego State University. The serpents hunt for fish in open water and can easily get caught in currents.
If they’re blown off course and far from home, they might not realize it if the water temperature is still within their comfort zone.
“They’re kind of like floating noodles who got lost,” Crowell said.
The snakes are named for their distinctive yellow underside, which contrasts dramatically with their darker top half.
The yellow-bellied sea snake is one of about 65 to 75 species of “true” sea snakes, meaning they live their entire lives in the water and give birth to live young there, Crowell said.
Because yellow-bellied sea snakes are completely adapted to living in the ocean, they are helpless and virtually unable to move if they wash up on the beach. They use their potent venom to kill prey and are not considered dangerous to people because humans don’t look anything like food to them.
“You have to do a lot to get bit by one,” Crowell said. “If you’re not handling them, you’re fine.”
Asked about the video footage of the snake on the Orange County beach, Crowell said it was heartening to see someone trying to help the sea snake. But, she said, it would generally be recommended to call wildlife officials for help in a similar situation.
“I definitely wouldn’t recommend messing with one if you don’t know what you’re messing with,” Crowell said.
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