Why Divers Are So Afraid of Sea Snakes: Chilling Facts to Know

Deep sea divers One often comes across these seemingly graceful, serpent-like creatures slithering through the ocean. A mixture of fascination and fear arouses even the most experienced divers, and with good reason. Sea snakes are among the most poisonous animals in the world. With powerful toxins and unpredictable behavior, these sea creatures appear formidable. They have oar-shaped tails, short, hollow tusks, and lungs capable of retaining oxygen. Let’s look at some scary facts about sea snakes that make divers wary of them.

More potent venom than land snakes

Sea snakes are known to be much more venomous than many of their land-based counterparts. Some species, such as the beaked sea snake, have venom that is about ten times more toxic than that of a cobra. The poison is composed of neurotoxins and mycotoxins. The main lethal toxins are short and long neurotoxins (71%) and basic PLA2 (21%). This can disable nerve action, destroy muscle cells, and cause death if left untreated.

Do they attack without provocation?

Several divers have reported that sea snakes tend to be curious. They swim up to the diver to investigate, and some may even wrap their bodies around the diver’s limbs. At first glance, this may seem like an unprovoked attack, but research shows that sea snakes are naturally curious and will approach divers out of curiosity. Their eyesight is not good, so they rely on vibrations and heat signatures to detect and analyze their surroundings.

Fatal bites

Compared to land snakes, sea snakes have smaller fangs. However, this does not make them any less dangerous. Most bites happen accidentally when a fisherman touches or grabs the snake, often while untangling nets or brushing against them on coral reefs. These bites can inject venom into the human body and cause death within hours if antivenom is not administered.

Sea snakes are common

Sea snakes are found in tropical waters around the world, including the Indian and Pacific Oceans, and are especially common in Australia and New Guinea. This means that sea snakes can be found in almost all popular diving destinations, increasing the likelihood of encountering them. The olive sea snake is the most common sea snake on the north coast of Australia and around the Great Barrier Reef.

Sea snakes have adapted to marine life

Sea snakes have evolved to remain underwater for long periods of time, sometimes up to eight hours or more. They can do this because they can breathe through their skin, absorbing up to 33% of the oxygen they need and eliminating 90% of the carbon dioxide.