State Officials Urge Caution After 'Rare' Sea Snake ‘More Venomous Than a Cobra’ Washes Up on Hawaii Beach

Mar. 15, 2025

A stock image of a yellow-bellied sea snake.Photo:Getty

Getty

Beachgoers in Hawaii should be suspicious of eels that wash up on shore — as they may actually be lethal snakes.

On Feb. 4, a Hilo resident spotted a live snake “pinned under a log” on Honoli’i Beach and reported the sighting to the Department of Land and Natural Resources. According to theOffice of Governor Josh Green, M.D., Hawaii’s Department of Agriculture’s Plant Quarantine Branch (PQB) was called to the scene to collect the three-foot-long yellow-bellied sea snake, which lifeguards had trapped under a 5-gallon bucket before they arrived.

No one was injured in the apprehension of the reptile.

“We want to take this opportunity to inform the public to be wary of any snake-like reptile in or near the ocean,” said Sharon Hurd, chairperson of the Hawai‘i Board of Agriculture. “This type of sea snake can be more venomous than a cobra and potentially lethal to humans.”

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A stock image of a beach in Maui, Hawaii.Getty

In July 2024, one of the snakeswashed ashoreat Waimanalo Beach. “Once they get washed onto the sand, they can’t crawl like normal snakes because the body is keeled underneath, so they kind of wobble,” said Dr. Andrew Rossiter from the Waikiki Aquarium, according to KHON2.

If a yellow-bellied sea snake is spotted, visitors and residents are encouraged to notify Hawaii’s toll-free Pest Hotline at 808-643-PEST (7378).

source: people.com