Sea Snakes

[happy-diver]

I saw a white one with spots in Ft Lauderdale while shore diving.

Could it have been a caucasian one eyed trouser snake not cognizant with a regimen involving hygiene

 

[parzdiver]

Was diving in Curacao recently and after one of the dives many people were talking about the "sea snake" they saw. They were so excited. I didn't want to be "that guy" correcting everyone that it was a sharp tail snake eel.

 

[Jake 10]

Was diving in Curacao recently and after one of the dives many people were talking about the "sea snake" they saw. They were so excited. I didn't want to be "that guy" correcting everyone that it was a sharp tail snake eel.

Saw one (1) sharp tail eel while diving BHB with @Scuba_Jenny and my son back in Summer 2022. The first time I ever seen one

 

[The Chairman]

Was diving in Curacao recently and after one of the dives many people were talking about the "sea snake" they saw. They were so excited. I didn't want to be "that guy" correcting everyone that it was a sharp tail snake eel.

Tact. You can usually correct people gently, but then some still really resent it. While most of us expect some give and take on a forum, on a boat it's sometimes a competition to determine who is the alpha diver. I avoid such confrontations as well. Fortunately, SB is a great place to suss out what's accurate and what's apocryphal with the occasional pissing match to liven things up. As a long time Florida resident, as well as someone who has spent an inordinate amount of time in the ocean, gulf, springs, lakes, forests and swamps here, I can usually be relied upon to give accurate information about native flora and fauna. However, I try not to be "the guy" who takes over a conversation simply to show off my knowledge or wit online or in person. Dominance just isn't my thing.

 

[Searcaigh]

We have several species of seasnakes around UAE in both the Gulf of Oman and in the Persian Gulf

 

[js1221]

See below

 

[Tournesol2000]

Could it have been a caucasian one eyed trouser snake not cognizant with a regimen involving hygiene

Thankfully no!
I am sincerely sorry if I offended you. Was not my intent.

 

[js1221]

The one and only sea snake I have ever seen. I was on a site visit to Kadena AFB, on Okinawa, and took a trip out to the Kerama Islands. The dive guide found this one and brought me over to show it to me.

So after posting this and reading the attached article I started doing to research. Turns out this is actually a banded sea krait, which differs from a sea snake in that it goes onto land to rest, digest food, etc. It is also more correctly known as the Yellow Lipped Sea Krait. Learn something new today.

 

[JohnN]

Hey mate just wondering, which side of the brain you don't use and how many hours it takes
before you actually decide to demean someone you don't know about the size of their penis

I'm quite sensitive about it but could send you a photo to laugh, but you would probably cry

But you would have to blow up the picture

Since you dispense a disproportionate amount of s**t to other posters, shouldn't your skin be a bit thicker?

 

[UofMI_Divegeek]

Sea snakes are spectacular and mysterious sea creatures often very hard to find. They are restricted to coastal areas of the Indian Ocean and Western Pacific Ocean. Sea snakes have laterally compressed bodies and are often mistaken for eels. However, sea snakes are actually highly venomous snakes

MSN

I did my doctoral dissertation on the chemistry / structure of sea snake venom. Their venom is among the most lethal (~ 300 times more lethal than cobras) of known natural toxins. The venom consists of a number (50-100) of nasty components that attack blood and muscle cells, as well as neuro-receptors (for biology folks ... the venom is a post cholinergic synapse blocker). Death often results from respiratory failure.

Venom is injected via bites (no fangs). Fortunately, they have small heads and it is difficult for them to grasp large body parts ... bites most often occur on ears, fingers and toes.

Since their leather is highly prized, skin divers in the Gato Islands (Philippines) night dive into caves swarming with thousands of sea snakes. The divers grab 4-5 snakes, secure them under rubber bands worn on the wrists, surface, and then throw the accumulated snakes into an open boat. The pre-dive ritual consists of consuming large quantities of alcohol since it is falsely believed that alcohol prevents death.

The book states that these snakes are non-aggresive, but every now and then snakes that have not read the book are encountered.