Sea Snakes

[ScubaJoy65]

I just watched an underwater.tv piece on venomous creatures. Sea snakes was one of the creatures highlighted; yet they were filming in Australia. So now I'm wondering, are there sea snakes in the Atlantic near the Southeastern Coast of the U.S.?

 

[knotical]

Nope.
for example: http://www.sailnet.com/forums/cruising-articles/20338-sea-snakes.html

 

[ScubaJoy65]

Thank goodness. I think I would fear running into a sea snake more than a shark.

 

[knotical]

The very few I've seen were rather shy. And their mouths are small.

 

[drbill]

I've run into sea snakes in a number of places on my tropical trips. The ones I've encountered were, as knotical posted, shy... in fact they basically ignored me, swimming right past as they moved along the reefs. Likewise, as knotical posted, their mouths are quite small. They would most likely only bite you on the webbing between your fingers. Not anything to be terribly concerned about IMHO.

 

[TSandM]

Alcina, who lives in Australia, has posted some spectacular photographs of sea snakes, up close and personal. When I asked her if she was ever worried about being that close to them, she told me they are extremely nonaggressive. The ones we saw in Indonesia were far busier with their own concerns than with any interest in us. They're very cool creatures, though.

 

[Hetland]

worry about box jellies

 

[alcina]

I adore sea snakes...well, some sea snakes. Our Olives are the most poisonous, but they're like puppy dogs and I don't mind when they wind around my neck or into my bcd or along my arm. Banded sea snakes, however, are a different kettle of fish - they are vicious and scary; they'll come at you when you aren't even close and they'll chase you. I stay away from those LOL

But I adore the olives

Oh, and I don't know that I buy that small mouth thing, really. I've seen these guys chowing down on some very substantial delectables But I do think you'd have to be extremely unlucky to get bitten as a diver...most of the bites are to fishers pulling them from their nets (which is a whole other topic).

 

[Age]

I also love sea snakes and have seen quite a few in Okinawa and the Philippines. I even stroked the back of the head of one once. However, once I was chased by one. At first I stood my 'ground' when I saw him flying towards me but he was in a really unhappy mood and it was I that ended backing off. I managed to fire off a couple of images while I was doing so. Let's see if I can attach one of those images.

 

[Katamuki]

After reading this I thought I would also post a pic of an unhappy snake. I was photographing sea cucumbers on a night dive at 60' which were reproducing and while I was focusing on the cucumber this snake came from my right as I snapped the shot. In the photo he is actually bouncing off the front of the 60mm port and is inside the focal range of a 60mm macro lens. My partner has the entire scenario on film as he was videotaping and had seen the snake rushing over to me...