Another rare, venomous sea serpent beached in Coronado

The yellow-bellied sea snake which measured 20 inches in length was discovered on Tuesday at Dog Beach in Coronado by a passerby who informed lifeguards, according to Coronado city officials. After finding the snake, the beachgoer immediately alerted lifeguards, who in return reached at the spot. Lifeguards dropped the invader into a bucket, where it eventually died.

Rare Sea Serpent Washes Ashore In California: Yellow-Bellied Sea Snake Found Due To El Nino? The first 2-footer serpent was seen in Ventura County in October previous year, while the second 27 inches long snake washed up on state’s Huntington Beach last month. Experts believe the snakes have ridden a warm current of water, fueled by the exceptionally strong El Niño climatic event, farther north than they have ever previously ventured.

The venomous snake will be handed over to Scripps Institute of Oceanography.

While a single bite from a yellow-bellied sea snake could result in heart, nerve, or respiratory failure, the good news is that they aren’t much of a risk to humans. Sightings of the ocean snake are so rare that the last one made in the area was during the 1980’s, yet in the last several months beach combers have stumbled upon multiple samples of these sea creatures. Yellow-bellied sea snakes don’t move well on land, so if they’re on the shore, it is a sign they are unwell, Martin said. Comprehensive research featured in the journal Nature Climate Change in August 2015 revealed that due to climate change the distribution of nearly 13,000 aquatic species will be severely affected. Still, officials and experts advise people to keep their distance if they come across one of these snakes. Although they are highly venomous, their targets are small fish and it’s thought they have yet to cause a recorded human death.

“Their fangs are tiny and they can barely open their mouths wide enough to bite a person”, said Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County herpetological curator Greg Pauly. There were many surprising incidents where other rare marine species washed up to the shores around the world.

“As the waters warm, it may be the case we see more snakes in southern California but we don’t know that as yet”, said Pauly.

As per Nosal, warm waters have brought this snake to the shore.