Number 5: Unnamed man attacks sea snake with a walking stick
Back in 2019, an elderly man taking a stroll on the beach decided to attack a vicious sea
snake to keep it from coming too close to the shore.
The strange situation was recorded and uploaded online.
The man was an Australian native and the attack occurred in Queensland.
Apparently, lifeguards had kept people from getting in the water because a sea snake had
been spotted.
The man didn’t accept their warning and stepped into the sea until the water got to
his waist.
He began hitting the snake as hard as he could in order to scare it away.
Authorities were quick to remark that this was incredibly reckless behavior.
Sea snakes don’t usually attack humans, preferring to swim away.
When threatened, though, they attack viciously.
Though several bystanders asked him what he was doing, he only relented after killing
the sea snake on the shore.
The elderly man could get in trouble with the law since it’s illegal to harm or kill
native fauna.
Several sea snake species are considered endangered.
If the snake in question turns out to belong to this group, then he could face legal consequences.
What is it?
The sea snake, also known as coral reef snake, is a type of venomous viper.
Its natural habitat is the sea, as its common name might suggest.
This species is almost exclusively aquatic and cannot survive on land, with the exception
of the Genus Laticuada.
Even so, the Laticuada has limited movement when out of the water.
The sea snake’s body is laterally compressed and possesses a paddle-like tail.
This gives it a distinct eel-like appearance.
In fact, these two species get mistaken for one another quite often.
The sea snake can be classified into 69 different species, some more aggressive than others.
Among these animal groups, scientists have found the most venomous snakes in the world.
Most of the sea snake’s species grow somewhere between almost 4 to 5 feet long, though there
are exceptions.
The largest type is the Hydrophis spiralis and adults can actually grow to be around
10 feet in length.
The sea snake has a shorter tongue than its land counterpart.
This is due to the fact that its olfactory function is more efficient underwater.
Unlike the land snake, it can only stick out the tips of its forked tongue.
Its nostrils are also unique.
Natural evolution allowed it to grow a special tissue that keeps water out.
As the sea snake doesn’t have gills, it must rely on its lungs to breathe.
However, it only needs to stay on the surface for 45 seconds before being able to submerge
again.
The sea snake can spend up to two hours underwater before needing to come up for air.
Number 4: Peter Davis Peter Davis was a big fishing aficionado.
So much so that not even a sea snake bite would dampen his experience.
During March of 2018, the man, a native of Darwin, Australia, had booked a fishing trip
with a few of his friends.
During the first day out at sea, he had an unfortunate encounter.
Davis noticed he’d gotten a snake tangled up on his rod.
When he turned around to search for a pair of scissors, the sea snake launched at him.
Though the wild animal managed to bite Davis on the hand, he decided not to cut his trip
short.
He’d soon realize the grave consequences of this decision.
Hours later, he began feeling ill, and his health deteriorated quickly.
The fisherman felt his hand throbbing.
He was rushed back to land, where he received some terrible news.
He’d have to be hospitalized and might end up losing his finger.
Fortunately, the doctors soon discovered the snake hadn’t managed to inject any venom
into Davis.
His symptoms had actually come from an infection produced by the predator’s teeth.
The surgeon managed to save Davis from amputation.
He ended up being released after a few days under medical care.
Where is it located?
The sea snake can usually be found in warm seas, particularly near the coast.
Its main habitats include most of the African shores, from Djibouti to Cape Town; New Zealand,
and several locations across the Indian Ocean.
In the Americas, it can be found most often in Peru as well as the Gulf of California.
This species doesn’t venture too far into the sea, preferring shallower waters.
Some even follow the sea’s currents and end up in rivers.
There have even been sightings of the sea snake in swamps.
This animal is active both during day and at nighttime.
It enjoys the sun but dives back underwater when noticing movement around it.
The sea snake can swim as deep as 300 feet below the surface.
It usually lives in groups and can be found in significant numbers.
It’s common to see it swimming around with at least a few dozen other sea snakes.
Its usual diet consists of fish.
They do, however, feed on eels and crustaceans.
Some require even more specific additions, such as eggs or certain kinds of fish.
The sea snake seems to gather in larger numbers during mating season.
The vast majority of species give birth to fully-formed offspring.
There are only five different species that have been observed to lay eggs.
When they do so, it’s always done on land and never on the ocean floor.
Number 3: Maso Fukami Maso Fukami was 23-years-old when he was bitten
by an unknown type of sea snake.
Back in 1935, Fukami was working as a pearl diver apprentice at Bathurst Island.
His employer was V.J. Clarke, a well-known pearl diver from Darwin.
Fukami was taking his second dive of the day and had filled a bag with clams.
While waiting for a second bag to be lowered, a large snake began swimming around him.
Fukami attempted to get away, but the snake rolled around the diver’s left wrist and
sank its fangs in his skin.
The young apprentice attempted to shake the animal off but was unable to defend himself
in time.
Eventually, he managed to rip the sea snake off his hand but, by that time, the damage
was already severe.
Fukami was dragged to the surface and examined on board.
Though a tourniquet was applied to the affected area, it didn’t save the young man’s life.
Fukami soon fell unconscious, and his body became stiff and black.
He died before the boat could return to the city’s port.
It’s considered that he was particularly unfortunate since sea snakes didn’t usually
appear in that area back in the 1930s.
Up to the recording of this video, it’s unknown what species actually attacked him.
Nearly, 85 years after Fukami’s death, it’s unlikely the source of the bite will ever
be discovered.
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How will it kill you?
Most species of sea snakes are incredibly venomous.
That being said, these animals don’t necessarily inject venom every time they bite their victims.
This makes lethal encounters with the sea snake rare, but still highly dangerous.
The Hydrophis platurus, a sea snake subspecies, is considered to possess a toxin more potent
than any land snake.
It tries to avoid contact with humans, but it will attack if feeling threatened.
Usually, its fangs aren’t long enough to tear through swimming suits.
Because of this, scrapes can be left behind, but no venom is injected.
The problem is, when the sea snake does bite, it’s hard to realize something is wrong.
Pain is rarely experienced during the first few hours after the attack.
This means its victims might not know the danger they’re in.
There tends to be little swelling.
However, a few hours after the bite, several symptoms begin to appear.
The most common are headaches, thirst, sweating, and even vomiting.
As the victim’s condition worsens, the muscle tissue begins to breakdown and paralysis set
in.
Over the following hours after the attack, all muscles will begin to ache.
Stretching will become painful.
The situation becomes dire when the victim is unable to swallow or breathe.
Since sea snake bites are so rare, it’s almost impossible to get antivenom in time.
Number 2: James Grisman James Grisman was just 8-years-old when he
was attacked by a deadly sea snake near the Sunshine Coast.
The young boy was enjoying a day at the beach with his parents.
It was hot near the sea, so he asked them if he could take a swim.
His mother allowed him to enter the water but decided to remain vigilant.
Rebecca Grisman was shocked to see something moving close to her son, just a few minutes
later.
She shouted for him to swim away, but it was too late.
A black and white snake was closing in and, before the child could react, it had already
bitten his wrist.
Grisman rushed out of the water, with two noticeable puncture marks by his hand.
He was bleeding, and his mother had to struggle not to panic as she knew how dangerous some
species of sea snakes could be.
The young mother’s cell phone wasn’t charged, and she was forced to run home in order to
call an ambulance.
The ambulance took only 7 minutes to arrive, which might have been the reason why the young
Grisman boy managed to survive.
He asked the doctors if he was going to die, but luck was on his side.
He was kept under observation for 12 hours.
The doctors were able to determine that Grisman had not been injected with any lethal venom.
They suspect the snake was merely giving the child a warning bite.
How to survive?
The first step, if you suspect you’ve been bitten, is to make sure that someone in the
vicinity tries to take a good look at the snake.
This will help doctors ensure that they treat you properly before the venom actually takes
over.
Since antivenom against the sea snake is so rare, every minute counts.
That being said, it’s not a good idea to try and capture it, as it can continue to
bite well after it’s been killed.
This occurs because of its long-lasting bite reflex.
Since you won’t experience pain during the attack, it’s crucial to remain alert to
other symptoms.
If you experience intense joint or muscle pain, as well as dizziness or stiffness, it’s
a good idea to head to the ER.
Vomiting, difficulty swallowing, and excessive drooling are other telltale signs that something
is wrong.
After being bitten by a sea snake, it’s critical to remain in the hospital.
This allows you not only to receive medication, but it’s also the best move in case intubation
or mechanical ventilation is required.
Suction very rarely works correctly.
It should only be considered if there is some kind of mechanical suction device in the vicinity.
The best course of action, until emergency services arrive, is to immobilize the afflicted
limb and apply a tourniquet.
This will keep the venom from spreading in case it was actually injected during the attack.
Number 1: Harry Evans Harry Evans was following his life’s dreams
of travelling across the globe.
The 23-year-old man enjoyed being constantly on the move.
He was a backpacker who got different jobs at each destination in order to support his
journeys.
Unfortunately, a rough encounter with a sea snake cut his life short.
He was working on a prawn trawler, near the Gulf of Carpentaria, back in October of 2019.
He didn’t wear any gloves while folding nets which ultimately proved to be a fatal
mistake.
A sea snake had become tangled, and it was desperate to break free.
When Evan moved his hand too close to the trapped animal, it attacked viciously, biting
the young man’s finger.
The ship's first mate was notified about the attack.
Not knowing how dangerous the snake’s bite had actually been, he didn’t think too much
of it.
When Evans began feeling sick, a few hours later, he attempted to keep the bite victim
from panicking.
The first mate assured Evans he’d be fine.
Moments later, he lost consciousness.
Medical help was called, but it took them over six hours to reach the ship.
By that time, Evans was convulsing, and there was nothing more that could be done to save
him.
He was the second recorded victim in Australia to die due to a sea snake attack in the last
90 years.
Evans left behind no wife or children, but his mother was devastated to lose her only
son.
Thanks for watching!
Would you rather swim in sea snake-infested waters, or give up the use of one of your
senses?
Let us know in the comments section below!