The yellow-bellied sea snake in question. Photo: Anna Iker
First the extremely warm water, then an army of little crabs, and now this? An exotic and incredibly venomous sea snake washed up at Silver Strand Beach in Ventura on Thursday, and according to Santa Monica-based Heal the Bay, the creature was brought to shore courtesy of El Niño.
“The yellow-bellied sea snake has some of the most poisonous venom in the world, and is a descendant from Asian cobras and Australian tiger snakes,” Heal the Bay’s senior coastal policy manager, Dana Murray, told KTLA.
It’s the first time since the early ’80s that the venomous snake has been seen in California, according to Heal the Bay. The last yellow-bellied sea snake sighted was also during an El Niño phase. Additionally, it’s the first known report of the species in Ventura County, and the northernmost record along the Pacific Coast of North America.
Yellow-bellied sea snakes are extremely venomous and experts are advising the public not to touch them. If you spot one, Heal the Bay requests you take photos, note the exact location, and report the sighting to iNaturalist and Herp Mapper.
