While paddling off the coast of Western Australia, a man in a transparent kayak was shocked to spot a huge sea snake swimming toward him – then beneath his boat.
The man on the kayak was Brodie Moss, the creator of YBS Youngbloods, an online company with millions of followers dedicated to “enjoying the ocean, nature, and everything above or below by being selective and sustainable.”
As such, the hair-raising video quickly made its way around the internet, amassing millions upon millions of views across multiple platforms in a few short days.
@ybsbrodie transparent kayak hits different in deep water..
♬ original sound – Brodie Moss
“Check this out!” the kayaker exclaims as he finds himself on a collision course with the sea snake. “What is that?”
As the kayak glides over the glittering blue water, it eventually reaches the snake – at which point the full force of the encounter hits the outdoorsman. “Whoa! Sea snake!” he shouted before composing himself and adding a friendly, “Hello, buddy,” as the snake swam past.
Social media users didn’t keep their cool quite as well as Moss, taking to the comments to express a range of emotions from sheer terror to sarcastic calm at the sight of the venomous snake.
“NEW FEAR UNLOCKED,” one horrified user wrote. “Australia is such a nice country with a lot of animals,” another said. “One bite and you’ll be playing rock scissors with buddy upstairs,” added a third.
How Venomous is the Sea Snake Swimming Under the Kayak?
Many of the comments questioned the kayaker on the killing capacity of the snake – aren’t olive sea snakes the deadliest in the world?
Well, they’re not the deadliest. But they’re certainly up there. The most venomous snake in the world is, in fact, a sea snake. However, it’s the hook-nosed sea snake, a reptile capable of killing 22 people with a single, very small bite.
That said, the olive sea snake (or greater sea snake), such as the one spotted by the kayaker, is one of the most venomous snakes in the world. Ranging from 3 to 6 feet in length, the olive snake packs a serious punch. Their venom contains powerful neurotoxins that cause rapid paralysis of the muscles and cardiovascular system.
Symptoms of an olive sea snake bite begin within minutes, causing dizziness, migraines, paralysis, and extreme lethargy. Without immediate treatment, hallucinations and convulsions will take hold, followed by complete respiratory failure when the venom reaches the lungs.
Though sea snake antivenom exists, many victims die before they can receive medical assistance, as those who suffer sea snake bites are often swimmers and divers deep in the water and far from help. Most common on the reef, olive sea snakes are known for their curiosity, approaching divers and kayakers to get a closer look at the strange visitors to the sea.
