Sea Snakes

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Saw this fellow in Mazatlan Mexico just cruising around the bottom frequently pouncing on things under the sand...

sea_snake_2048.jpg


Mike
 
...Banded sea snakes, however, are a different kettle of fish - they are vicious and scary; they'll come at you when you aren't even close and they'll chase you. I stay away from those LOL
Here on Koh Tao, Thailand we have a banded sea snake that's supposed to be very shy and non-aggressive. On one of my dives however, while me and my buddy have been observing one snake lying on the rock it suddenly decided to swim towards me. As I was facing it at the time, I could only back away using my fins and so I did. At first slowly, but as it was getting closer I moved faster and further away. The snake has at first followed me for a while but once it realized I was moving away too quickly from it, it decided to go after my buddy who was watching this from a safe distance.

As it turned its focus to him, he moved away quickly and the snake then just went straight up to the surface, close to the boat.

I don't think this snake was aggressive, maybe just curious but I didn't want to stay too long and too close to find out exactly how it felt about us being there. :D
 
Saw this fellow in Mazatlan Mexico just cruising around the bottom frequently pouncing on things under the sand...

sea_snake_2048.jpg


Mike

Are you sure that's not a Tiger Snake EEL ( Myricthys tigrinus or maculosus )?
 
I think you are right! Ever notice how hard it is to find something without knowng its name? Thanks!

Mike
 
Interestingly my unhappy sea snake also bounced off the front lens of my camera, but it was a 20mm that didn't focus that close.
 
After reading this I thought I would also post a pic of an unhappy snake. I was photographing sea cucumbers on a night dive at 60' which were reproducing and while I was focusing on the cucumber this snake came from my right as I snapped the shot. In the photo he is actually bouncing off the front of the 60mm port and is inside the focal range of a 60mm macro lens. My partner has the entire scenario on film as he was videotaping and had seen the snake rushing over to me...
2733800520100390769S600x600Q85.jpg

I wonder if it was the same snake:D It certainly looks like the same species
 

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