Rarely seen, deadly sea snake washes up on Manly Beach

A HIGHLY venomous sea snake rarely seen in Sydney waters has been washed up alive on Sydney’s northern beaches.

This sea snake washed up at South Steyne on Wednesday. Picture: Billy Taylor

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A HIGHLY venomous sea snake, which is rarely seen in Sydney waters, has been washed up on Manly Beach.

The elegant sea snake, which washed up at South Steyne on Wednesday morning and is being cared for by a WIRES volunteer, has been described as being as “venomous as an eastern brown (land-based) snake”.

The beach where the snake was found.

Northern Beaches WIRES reptile co-ordinator Dr Sara Piddleston is looking after the snake, which has minor head injuries, with the aid of a heater and a thermostat.

“They usually come from north of the central coast (where there are warmer waters),” she said.

“I imagine it got blown down here by north or north-easterly winds.

“I suspect it got really tired and maybe got bashed on the rocks at South Steyne.”

After washing ashore on Wednesday morning, many onlookers crowded the snake, with some believing it was just resting.

These snakes are as venomous as land-based eastern browns. Picture: Billy Taylor

But Dr Piddleston said that unlike land-based snakes, if sea snakes were beached they generally didn’t have the capability of returning themselves to the ocean.

“They might move a bit when they get washed up, but they can’t really get themselves back into the sea,” she said.

“(Also) these are really venomous — they are as venomous as an eastern brown snake.”

Aside form the risk of being bitten, Dr Piddleston said beachgoers shouldn’t attempt to return them to the sea when beached because the snakes were at risk of drowning if exhausted.

“They breathe air, which I don’t think a lot of people realise,” she said.

Dr Piddleston said she hoped the snake, which is about 1.5m long, will fully recover from its injuries and exhaustion in a week’s time.

After that time she hoped it would be healthy enough to be returned to the ocean.

If you come across injured or distressed wildlife, call WIRES on 1300 094 737.

ELEGANT SEA SNAKE

●Widespread in tropical Australia. This includes Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory Its distribution extends from Shark Bay in Western Australia to Moreton Bay in Queensland

●Highly venomous

●The elegant sea snake is an air breathing reptile and must come to the surface to breathe, however they can spend from 30 minutes to two hours diving between breaths.