A venomous yellow-bellied sea snake washed ashore in Orange County, something that has not happened in California since 2018.
Here's what to know
CBS Los Angeles aired cellphone video from Crystal Cove that showed the snake on the beach at night. In the footage, someone uses a palm frond in an effort to move it back toward the water.
The Los Angeles Times reported that Greg Pauly, a reptile expert with the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, said Orange County previously had two reports of yellow-bellied sea snakes, both of them in 2018. He also said there have been only six confirmed sightings in California since 1972.
One of about 65 to 75 species, the yellow-bellied sea snake is a "true" sea snake, meaning it lives its entire life in the water. Experts said the snake is not a danger to people if it is left alone.
"You have to do a lot to get bit by one," Hayley Crowell, a snake expert at San Diego State University, told the Times.
Pauly said strandings can happen when cold water makes a snake lethargic. However, the animal may have arrived after getting caught in a current.
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"They're kind of like floating noodles who got lost," Crowell told the Times.
More background
Yellow-bellied sea snakes typically inhabit warm tropical and subtropical waters. An appearance so far north can signal an unusual shift in ocean conditions.
Crowell said warm ocean water likely helps explain the sighting because the snakes hunt in open water and can be carried by currents. Warm seas may allow them to drift beyond their usual ranges without immediately becoming distressed.
Unusual marine sightings have been piling up in California waters. The Natural History Museum announced that a longfinned bigeye fish was caught off the Venice pier even though it is normally found only from Baja California to Peru. Fishers also hooked a hammerhead at the Malibu Pier, and The Orange County Register reported another sighting off Laguna Beach.
What can be done?
Do not touch wild animals, especially unfamiliar marine species. Always call wildlife officials if in doubt.
"I definitely wouldn't recommend messing with one if you don't know what you're messing with," Crowell said, per the Times.
The BBC has explained why wild animals attack humans, noting that dangerous encounters are often shaped by people's behavior. Keeping your distance, respecting wildlife, and paying attention to changing environmental conditions can reduce the risk for everyone.
To verify the sighting, Pauly is seeking more video from people who saw the snake.
Where can I learn more?
Here are some more snake stories and dangerous encounters.
• Off Nuevo Vallarta, beachgoers watched a yellow-bellied sea snake glide through calm morning surf.
• In a Philippine lake, a rare venomous sea snake evolved startlingly fast in isolation.
• On an Australian beach, a vivid banded sea krait drew attention.
• Scientists warn that venomous snakes may reach populated coastlines more often as habitats shift.
• In Dhaka, rescuers say snakes sneak into human settlements as urbanization squeezes habitat.
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