Surprised kayaker finds snake swimming under him, video shows. ‘New fear unlocked’
A man paddling in a transparent kayak off the coast of western Australia was in for a surprise when he saw a snake swimming toward him.
Brodie Moss, the face of YSB Youngbloods, shared a video on his social media showing the encounter with the snake on Feb. 7.
(Warning: This video contains explicit language.)
“Check this out!” he said in the video. “What is that?”
The snake swam underneath the kayak, shocking Moss.
“Whoa! Sea snake!” he exclaimed.
Moss was out in “deep water,” so it was quite the surprise when what appears to be an olive sea snake made an appearance.
The olive sea snake is native to Australian waters, often found swimming among the fish on a coral reef. The snakes are some of the most common on the reef, and they are notoriously curious, approaching divers and kayakers to investigate the terrestrial visitors.
Sea snakes still need air, but the olive sea snake can hold its breath for up to two hours. The snakes are mostly nocturnal and will hide in holes in the reef during the day when they aren’t out hunting small fish or checking on a snorkel group.
But they can be dangerous.
Named for the color of their skin, olive sea snakes are venomous. Though not known to attack people, olive sea snake bites have been fatal.
Some olive sea snakes can be almost 7 feet long and can swim down to depths of 230 feet below sea level.
In Moss’ video, the snake is seen at the surface of the water, likely taking a breath before diving back into the deep blue.
Reactions on the video show both surprise and fear.
“New fear unlocked,” one comment said.
“Of course as if being on water couldn’t get me away from a snake,” another wrote.
Others thought it looked more innocent, or more Australian.
“I thought it was a banana floating in the ocean,” a comment read.
“I thought it was a boomerang,” said another.
This story was originally published February 9, 2023 at 1:51 PM with the headline "Surprised kayaker finds snake swimming under him, video shows. ‘New fear unlocked’."
