Local officials have warned beachgoers in California to keep away from a species of highly venomous snakes after locals spotted a third one, washing up on shores. On Tuesday, a yellow bellied sea snake measuring 20 inches long was found on North Beach, Coronado near San Diego.
This has been the third sighting ever since October last year which has also been unprecedented as these tropical sea serpents prefer warmer waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. The last verified sighting of this venomous aquatic snake, washing up ashore in California was in 1972.
Biologists and experts believe that these snakes were riding this warm current of water that has been generated by a stronger than usual El Niño climate event, where they were transported farther north than they would normally have migrated.
Last October, a two foot snake was seen in Ventura County following a dead serpent measuring 27 inches in Orange County in December.
Biologists have preserved the carcasses of these dead snakes upon recovering their bodies ashore, where they are now baffled by how many tropical aquatic species that are entering California water territories, which are now 2 to 4 degrees Celsius warmer than average temperatures.
Apart from the United States, an outbreak of sea snakes was seen washing also ashore in the New South Wales coast in Australia.
According to curator of herpetology, Greg Pauly, of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, it is unexpected to see this number of yellow bellied sea snakes in California. At first, this has been an exciting find however, recurring events causes everyone to become more perplexed as this might offer some clues about the significant changes in climate apart from El Niño.
Apart from rising sea temperatures and this "blob" of water off the Pacific coast, there are also other significant factors triggered by climate change and global warming.
Yellow bellied sea snakes are aquatic creatures where they are capable of swimming across great distances. Even if they are highly venomous, they prey on smaller fish where there is no current record of human death by these snakes.
Pauly advises people to keep their distance upon seeing these snakes, dead or living. He adds that these snakes are also relatively submissive where it is highly unlikely that humans will be attacked by them. It is usually rare for these snakes to bite people where it's usually fishermen who are careless with their fishing nets who are exposed to them.
Pauly says that their venom is not powerful enough to kill an adult human however, it is best to keep at a safe distance to capture some photos, for the safety of everyone.