Sea snakes have a lot common features with terrestrial reptiles, however special conditions life left their unique imprint on their structure, behavior and biological features. In this article we will talk about marine reptiles and their most striking species.
Characteristics of the largest species
Most major representative marine reptiles - this is a yellow sea snake, let's look at its description in more detail.
Appearance and behavior
The color of the reptile can be completely yellow and two-color - yellow-black and variegated with a predominant yellow. The length of her body can reach three meters, and her weight can be one and a half kilograms. Thanks to the layer of fat around internal organs reptile can for a long time be motionless.
Did you know? Poison of sea reptilesseveral timesmore toxic than the poison of their terrestrial relatives, due to the fact that cold-blooded fish are less susceptible to poison than mammals.
The narrow head allows it to extract food from crevices in underwater rocks, and the tail, flattened on both sides, allows it to quickly maneuver. By making “wave” movements with its tail, the snake can move both forward and backward at the same speed. 
The respiratory organs, in the form of a bladder that stores air reserves, make it possible to reach a depth of about 100 meters. Most often they stay closer to the coast, but in rare cases they swim quite far - up to 250 km.
Area
The yellow sea snake is distributed over a large area. These are the coasts of the following countries:
- Bangladesh;
- Oman;
- Iran;
- Pakistan;
- Sri Lanka;
- India;
- Malaysia;
- Philippines;
- China;
- New Guinea;
- New Caledonia.
Nutrition
The snake's diet includes fish, crustaceans, shrimp, and cephalopods. Thanks to the elastic muscles that connect the jaws, it can swallow prey that is twice its size.
Reproduction
The yellow sea snake mates once a year, the season depends on the habitat. Representatives of this species are ovoviviparous, usually producing no more than three babies. Individuals enter sexual maturity at the age of one year.
The mating process takes long time- the couple has to rise to the surface for a breath of air. The breathing of the couple is completely controlled by the female, since the male, having attached himself at the beginning of mating with the hemipenis, cannot separate until the end of the process and is completely dependent on her.
After a long gestation, up to about 10–11 months, babies appear. Marine reptiles do not raise their offspring, which are able to feed themselves from the first days. 
Which sea snake is the most poisonous?
The biggest danger for divers is the beaked sea snake, which lives in the warm waters of the Pacific and Indian oceans. She small sizes and beautiful bright colors, where there are yellow, green, gray, black.
In its mouth there are two long and sharp fangs that can bite through the thick skin of a wetsuit and inject poison. The reptile also has an aggressive character, and the amount of poison in its glands is enough to kill up to 50 people.
The toxins contained in the poison paralyze respiratory system, destroy muscle tissue and kidneys. After being bitten by such a snake, 90% of cases were fatal.
The brightest representatives
Let's look at the most interesting marine reptiles that inhabit popular vacation spots. 
Goa
The most striking examples are:
- common sea krait- poisonous, the back is bright blue with black rings along the entire length, on the abdominal part the color is lighter with splashes of yellow;
- decorated swallowtail- poisonous, stripes of black and alternating on the back gray, alternating with narrower stripes of green and yellow lines, the belly is light;
- warty snake- the body is dark brown in color, its skin is remarkable - thick and as if “for growth”, there are many thick scales on the skin that help to hold the victim.
Important! Snakes can swim into the surf and hide among the corals. Vacationers should be careful, since reptile venom is dangerous to humans.
Australia
Prominent representatives Australian waters:
- Belcher's snake- the body is painted with pale yellow and dark green, almost black stripes, the tail is oar-shaped, the scales have tubercles;
Did you know? On the west coast of Australia, scientists discovered two reptiles (Aipysurus apraefrontalis and Aipysurus foliosquama) that had been considered extinct for fifteen years.
- two-color bonito- the top of the body is colored black or dark brown, the bottom is bright yellow, the body is flattened on the sides, the tail can be decorated with spots;
- Dubois snake- small scales with a basic pale brown-gray tone; there are dark brown spots across the body.
red sea
Aquatic inhabitants of the Red Sea:
- reef sea snake- colors can vary (yellow, green, cream, brown), the tail is flat, like an oar, in addition to two poisonous teeth, the mouth is endowed with ten more simple sharp teeth;
- ribbon swallowtail- the body is olive-colored with dark spots and rings, which can be connected by dark stripes, the ventral part of the body is lighter, young individuals may have rings closer to the tail;
Important! Vacationers at Red Sea resorts most often suffer from reptile bites in swimming areas with dense thickets.
- Hardwick's snake- a short and thick body with a paddle-shaped tail, dark olive wide stripes are located on a yellowish-cream background, the abdominal part is almost white.
Black Sea
There are no reliable facts that there are sea snakes in the waters of the Black Sea. The exception is the non-venomous water snake. It is a reptile with a long (1–1.6 m) thin body dark green in color, its ventral part is colored black and orange. It feeds mainly on fish.
To have a clearer idea of sea creatures described in this article, watch a video about the amazing symbiosis of reptiles with other inhabitants depths of the sea: In conclusion, we note that sea reptiles surprise and captivate with their diversity; their lightness and grace when moving in the water, smooth wave-like movements and hovering are mesmerizing.
Vacationers just need to be careful not to disturb the reptile on its territory. In general, most of these reptiles are not aggressive and try to hide when they notice a person.
Sea snakes belong to the family of snakes, which includes 17 genera and 56 species and are related to the adders.
These poisonous animals spend their entire lives in water and in their lifestyle differ significantly from their terrestrial relatives. Since snakes are cold-blooded animals, they live in warm waters The Pacific and Indian Oceans are close to the coast.
Almost all representatives of the genera of this animal cannot move on the ground. Perhaps only flat-tailed animals are able to move on land, including the ringed flat-tailed one. Sea snakes breathe atmospheric air, for which they need to surface from time to time to replenish its supply.
Appearance of a sea snake
Most adults reach a size of 1.2-1.5 meters. The largest representative of this family is the yellow sea snake. The length of this animal is 2.7-3 meters. Weight varies from 0.7 kg to 1.5 kg.
Females are usually larger than males. The sea snake's tail is flattened laterally, which helps it swim, and its head is narrow. This head structure allows the snake to crawl into the narrowest crevices in the reefs in search of prey. The structure of light sea snakes is interesting. The right lung is located along the entire body of the snake to the tail. The respiratory organ that has received such development is a kind of bubble and serves as a storage facility for air.
The skin of sea snakes is quite thick and scaly. Scientists have found that these reptiles have the ability to breathe through their skin.
A scientific experiment was conducted, as a result of which it was proven that 25% of an animal’s oxygen needs are met through the skin. From this it is clear that this type of marine animal is capable of staying under water for a long time, about 2 hours. Sea snakes can descend to depths of up to 90-100 m, and according to some estimates, up to 180 meters.
In general, there are many protective mechanisms in the structure of the sea snake’s body. Sea snakes spend their entire lives in salt water and sometimes need to remove excess salt from their bodies. Special glands located under the tongue are designed to perform this function.
Snakes also have protective valves in the openings of their noses, which close when immersed in water. The body of snakes that live near reefs is covered with hard scales. This helps them protect themselves from mechanical damage. Sea snakes prefer to live in the coastal zone and do not swim far from the shore. The maximum distance a snake can swim is 160 km.
Sea snake behavior and nutrition
This type of marine reptile is active both day and night. Snakes love to bask in the sun in the morning and evening. At this time they can be observed on the surface of the water. It happens that sea snakes gather together in large quantities and can form a kind of line, 3-5 km wide, up to 100 km long.
A similar gigantic concentration of sea snakes was observed off the coast of Malaysia in 1932. The reason that forces animals to do this has not yet been found. However, experts have suggested that this behavior is related to reproduction. Big number sea snakes die as a result of typhoons and severe storms. After such cataclysms, the waves wash up thousands of bodies of dead reptiles.
Representatives of this species feed on fish and cephalopods. Having plastic body and a well-expandable mouth, the snake can swallow prey twice its size.
Reproduction
Apart from the genus flat-tailed, all other sea snakes are ovoviviparous. The offspring of snakes are born in water and the length of the cubs sometimes reaches half the length of the mother’s body. There are five species of snakes in this family that are oviparous. In order to lay eggs, they have to get out onto land.
Sea snake venom
The venom of sea snakes is one of the most powerful in the world. There is an explanation for this. Cold-blooded inhabitants of the deep sea are much more resistant to poison than warm-blooded representatives of the fauna, whose habitat is land. Based on this, a more potent poison is required. Poisonous teeth sea snakes are located on the upper jaw. The snake's teeth are quite strong; it easily bites through the scales of fish. Of course, the thickness of a person's skin will not protect against a reptile bite.
The sea olive snake is considered the most poisonous among sea snakes. In the genus of this snake there is a species called Dubois, which has the most dangerous poison.
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The venom of the sea snake is dangerous to humans. Their venom is dominated by an enzyme that paralyzes nervous system. When attacking, the snake quickly strikes with two short teeth, slightly bent back. The bite is practically painless, there is no swelling or hemorrhage. But after some time, weakness appears, coordination is impaired, and convulsions begin. Death occurs from paralysis of the lungs after 7 hours.
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The great toxicity of the venom of these snakes is a direct result aquatic habitat: To prevent the prey from escaping, it must be instantly paralyzed. True, the venom of sea snakes is not as dangerous as the venom of snakes that live with us on earth. When a flattail bites, 1 mg of poison is released, and when a swallowtail bites, 16 mg is released. So, a person has a chance to survive. Out of 10 people bitten by sea snakes, 7 people remain alive, of course, if they receive timely treatment. health care. True, there is no guarantee that you will be among the last, so you must follow the following tips:
- dive only in thick wetsuits, the layer of which must be at least 7 mm;
- Do not touch the snake under any circumstances, and if there is a need to catch it, then use special tongs with a long handle;
- do not tease or provoke snakes, otherwise a lightning attack may follow;
- Never allow a snake to bite you, even if you are wearing a wetsuit: try to drive it away or distract its attention with something else.
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However, it must be honestly noted that in practice some advice is difficult to implement. The fact that sea snakes, like any other predators, are unpredictable creatures also plays a role here. You never know for sure what the snake will do next.
This is what happened to photographer Ben Krop, who specializes in underwater photography. While working, he was attacked by a snake, which the photographer accidentally disturbed by touching algae. First, Krop grabbed the first thing that came to hand. It was a big snail. The sea snake attacked this living shield again and again until the poor snail was completely destroyed, but the snake did not stop there. I grabbed the photographer's flipper. Krop decided that it was better not to move. And he did the right thing. More than 5 minutes passed when the sea snake unhooked itself and calmly swam further. It’s just that, according to all the laws of nature, her victim should already be dead...
Keep yourself in control, even if the snake is swimming towards you. Usually sea snakes are driven by ordinary curiosity. To avoid trouble with them, you need to remember the most important rule that applies to all predators: caution is the main assistant. The sea snake practically does not attack without reason. Don’t make her angry, then, most likely, she won’t touch you either.
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Length: up to 4 meters Weight: up to 2 kg Habitat: they live in all seas of the Pacific and Indian oceans |
All sea snakes live only in the warm waters of the equator and the tropics, except for the bonito, which is found near the Cape of Good Hope and in the Sea of Japan. Some species choose their habitat equatorial zone off the coast of India and near the Panama Canal. All sea snakes live exclusively in salt water, only one species has adapted to fresh water and lives in Taal Lake on the Philippine island of Luzon.
The ancestors of sea snakes left their native element, probably in search of salvation from land-based predators. Upon returning to the sea, they retained two features acquired over millions of years of terrestrial existence: pulmonary breathing and venom-conducting teeth. True, once again adapting to the aquatic lifestyle, they underwent some changes in the body, allowing them to move more efficiently, feed and reproduce in an elastic and dense aquatic environment.
Some snakes, as a result of adaptation, acquired a laterally flattened tail, like an oar blade, so that by moving it from side to side, they can swim forward or backward equally quickly. In others, the scales have changed: they no longer overlap each other as tightly as in terrestrial species, and in some species they are joined end to end, forming a continuous smooth cover.
Another adaptation for life in an aquatic environment is the ability of some species to give birth to viviparity. Moreover, baby snakes are also born in water. The embryo is rolled up into a tight ball, and the unfurled newborn calf can be quite large - up to half the length of the parent and is capable of swimming independently and getting food for itself from the first minutes of life.
A thin and forked tongue protruding from the small head of a sea snake captures odors in the water. It is protected by a triple layer of leather from mechanical damage and sea salt. The teeth of a sea snake are fragile, easily dislodged and broken off. They are designed not so much for a swift attack as for capturing and chewing prey.
Sea snakes breathe oxygen from the air. These creatures can remain underwater for several hours, holding their breath, which is explained by a reduced metabolic rate and an enlarged lung that runs along the entire body. Most of the time, sea snakes are busy hunting. Some species feed only on bottom fauna - eels and small fish - diving to a depth of 150 meters while hunting. Others hunt exclusively on the surface of the water, where they lie motionless, like sticks, luring unwary fish.
Temperament different types the most varied - from meek to evil. However, all snakes are poisonous and should be handled with care. The strength of the venom makes the sea snake one of the most dangerous aquatic animals. The animal not only retained the property inherent in a number of its terrestrial relatives, but improved it. This common feature for the whole family. According to hydrobiologists, the venom of some sea snakes is from two to fifty times stronger than poison king cobra.
But meanwhile, sea snakes are not aggressive. They bite only if provoked, and even then they do not always use venom. It is estimated that only a quarter of those bitten by sea snakes were poisoned. Why this is so, no one knows for sure. Possibly non-toxic
These bites are explained by the fact that the glands gave up all the toxin in the previous attack.
A person bitten by a sea snake does not feel at first acute pain, accompanying the attacks of many poisonous marine animals, you will only feel a slight pinprick. And since subsequent symptoms develop very slowly, from 20 minutes to several hours, the victim does not always associate the worsening of his condition with the bite. The mortality rate of those affected by sea snake venom reaches 25%
The depths of the seas and oceans conceal infinite set various creatures: giant snakes, and animals previously unknown to science.
One of the mysteries that has worried people and scientists for centuries is the giant sea snake. Its history begins in the 19th century, although the first mentions appeared much earlier.
Matthew Gaffney
The year 1817 was the peak of new stories and stories: more than a hundred cases were recorded in August of that year. All witnesses, as one, claimed that they saw a real sea serpent gigantic size, which sailed near Gloucester, Massachusetts, USA. Scientists reacted to the news with genuine interest.
But August 14th became a truly significant day. A group of 30 people, including respected people such as Judge Lonson Nash, saw the monster with their own eyes. Almost immediately the boats set off in pursuit of him, but only one was lucky.
Ship carpenter M. Gaffney was able to catch up mysterious creature resembling a reptile. According to Matthew, he saw only part - 10 meters of the body. Taking aim, he fired. Gaffney was a sharp shooter, and therefore there was no doubt about the accuracy of the shot. But the snake showed no reaction, only turned to look at the source of the noise.
Fearing that the giant might attack, the boat and everyone in it turned towards the shore. And at that time the animal sank even deeper into the water, swam under the boat and came out on the other side, going around it. It seemed that the snake was indifferent to the presence of people, he continued to frolic.
Later, M. Gaffney was able to describe the appearance of the sea giant. His skin was smooth and dark, and there were snow-white spots on his throat and abdomen. The dimensions of the head were approximately equal to the volume of a 10-liter barrel, and the length of the body was about 12 m. The snake could bend like a caterpillar and reach speeds of up to 50 km/h.
Researchers who looked into this issue confidently stated that the creature seen in Gloucester could not be a snake, due to the fact that reptiles are not able to wriggle.
European scientists have expressed much more skepticism. Zoologist Charles-Alexandre Le Sueur from France is confident that the monster seen by Gaffney is a simple snake. Perhaps she had spinal curvatures or injuries, or maybe she was a mutant. In any case, Europe laughed at the story of Gloucester for a long time, and the existence of the sea serpent remained a closed topic.
"Daedalus" and "Valhalla"
It took 3 decades before stories about the snake monster began to be discussed again. And the reason for this was an incident in 1848.
English ship The Daedalus was located near the Cape of Good Hope. Suddenly, one of the crew members noticed a creature rapidly approaching the ship. He immediately reported the news to the officers and the ship's captain, Peter Mackay, after which the entire crew was able to clearly see the legendary creature, which everyone had forgotten about. A sea serpent was approaching them.
Describing what they saw, the sailors reported that the body length was more than 20 m, and the girth did not exceed 30 cm. The color of the body was dark, and the throat and belly were yellowish-white.
Some members of the team claimed that they saw a mane similar to seaweed. The speed of the snake was 20 km/h, but the creature did not make any bends or twists. The monster moved straight, without turning or deviating.
On returning to Plymouth, hometown ship, information about the meeting with the sea serpent spread like lightning.
A detailed report with descriptions and details was demanded from the captain, which was immediately compiled. After its publication, society raised an uproar: is it really true? And since the description matched the previous one, it seemed as if everyone had seen the same monster. So the sea serpent exists?
The messages did not stop: many travelers told details about the meeting with the monster, repeating the details of other storytellers. But doubts did not disappear. Until the incident in 1905.
In December, naturalists, members of the Zoological Society of London, Mid-Waldo and Nicholl traveled on the yacht Valhalla near the Brazilian state of Paraiba. Suddenly, Mid-Waldo saw a huge two-meter fin 100 meters from the ship.
Peering more diligently into the surface of the water, he noticed a huge body.
Then a head resembling a turtle appeared above the waves. She had dark color above and white below. The long neck was about 2 meters.
Nikolla confirmed every word of Midwald, except for one thing: Nikolla was sure that the animal was a mammal, not a reptile.
Le Serrec
Progress did not stand still, and sailing ships were actively replaced by steam ships. They had a worked out route, and there was no need for them to deviate from the given course. As a result, according to cryptozoologists, encounters with unknown creatures have become much less common. And noisy engines warned the animals about the appearance of people.
But 1965 again lifted the veil of secrecy. Robert Le Serrec, a photographer from France, made a big announcement: he captured a sea serpent.
It happened off the coast of Queensland, Australia, on December 12, 1964. The photographer, his family and a friend named Henk de Jong were on a boat enjoying the views of Stoinhaven Bay.
Suddenly Robert's wife saw something gigantic on the sandy bottom through clear water. Henk decided that it was the trunk of a huge tree, but he was mistaken: the creature under water began to wriggle and move, like a tadpole with a large head.
Le Serrec immediately took out his camera to take pictures. Then they swam closer and turned on the video camera. Being nearby, almost above the creature, the men were able to see a wound on the monster’s back and a giant head.
Robert's children, who were in the boat, were frightened, so their parents transported them to shore and returned for further observations.
The snake stopped moving, possibly due to its wound, which allowed observers to get even closer.
Le Serrec saw 2 eyes and the unusual color of the creature: brown stripes ran along the entire body. Wanting to record what was happening in order to have evidence for the whole world, Robert dived with an underwater camera and a gun.
The darkness underwater made filming difficult, but the human eye could clearly see that in front of him was a real monster with a 30-meter body, powerful meter-long jaws and large green eyes. At the moment when Le Serrec began filming, the snake moved, opened its mouth and turned towards the people. Fear for own life forced Robert and Henk to return to the boat and head towards the shore.
Sea giant at this time he decided to retire to a quieter place, apparently. Robert's wife was sure that the creature headed towards the sea.
In February 1965, Le Serrec told this story to the world. Of course, the public was divided into 2 camps. Specialists who studied the video footage considered the filming incomplete due to the blurry nature of the picture.
But the fact remains: scientists could not clearly explain what was captured on the video, and therefore simply accused Le Serrec of fraud and forgery.
But those who really tried to make out what they saw identified 9 characteristics of the creature: Long neck, "sea horse", several humps and fins, "giant otter", "giant eel", mammal, "father of all turtles", "yellow belly".
Scientists' theories
Scientists' opinions on this matter are divided:
- The creature combined the characteristics of several sea animals, including the sea eel.
- It was a zeiglodon, a primitive whale that became extinct many years ago.
- More skeptical researchers rejected the possibility of the existence of a sea serpent, attributing the giant in the video to leopard seals- pinnipeds of the Antarctic.
- The most popular theory was that dinosaurs could survive.
- They do not exclude the possibility that the sea serpent is the herring king. The fish has a silvery color and bright red fins starting from the head. The pectoral fins are oar-shaped. Herring kings can reach 10 m in length, but in appearance they do not at all resemble a sea serpent.
Many versions have been put forward about who is hiding under the guise of a sea serpent. Some people are sure that it could be logs or algae.
California
The most significant and memorable incident occurred in 1983. On October 31, Marin County maintenance crews were working on a section of Highway 1 near the ocean and sandy beaches.
Before lunch, the boss took a smoke break. Looking at the water, he saw something moving towards the shore. Calling out to his comrade, Matt Ratto, he took the binoculars and began to peer.
A quarter of a mile away people were seen swimming giant creature dark color. Thin, 100 feet long, it had 3 humps.
It was then that Ratto and his boss first saw the sea serpent. Matt later described how the huge animal first poked its head out of the water and looked around.
Perhaps, seeing people swimming nearby, the snake changed its direction of movement.
There were other witnesses to this event. Steve Biora, the driver, is almost sure that the speed at which the giant was moving was 60 km/h. All he managed to see were 2 humps, and therefore Biora believes that it was a huge eel.
A total of 5 workers saw something huge in the ocean. Their descriptions coincided with each other: size, color, color.
Roland Kerry, another eyewitness, stated that he had already seen sea monster, but no one believed him. And now he was absolutely sure of the reality of what was happening!
3 days later another unexpected message appeared. At Stenson Beach, a team of observers recorded similar creature near Costa Messa.
A young surfer, Young Hutchinson, saw with his own eyes how it rose from the water three meters away from him. Thinking that no one would believe him, Young decided not to talk about what happened. But as soon as information about other cases appeared in the newspapers, Hutchinson told about his case, clarifying that all the descriptions matched.
Throughout the 20th century, eyewitness stories kept coming to newspapers. People have seen mysterious creatures all along the coast Pacific Ocean. But all the scientists’ research was inconclusive: no one was able to determine what kind of creature appeared above the water.
The most common version was about the floating remains of a whale that shimmered in the sun. Other researchers believed that it could be a herd of porpoises, lined up and swimming one after another.
But how to explain the giant head and eyes that Le Serrec saw? No, Ratto and Hutchinson were absolutely sure: they did not see a whale or its remains. The creature was alive and not cetacean-like.
Is the sea serpent real?
Based on numerous records, the history of sea serpents dates back to the 19th century. But there are also some mentions in earlier scriptures. The first dates back to the Trojan War, and the second to the 16th century.
The snake, which lived in the Mediterranean Sea, was discovered during a sacrifice. At the moment when the Greeks gave the Trojans the famous horse, the priest Laocoon was outraged. He didn’t understand why the soldiers believed the cunning Greeks? After all, the horse is most likely a fraud! But they didn’t have time to check the wooden mass.
When Laocoon made a sacrifice to Poseidon on the seashore, 2 people swam up to him huge snake. They looked creepy: red combs, long tails and terrible eyes. The priest and his sons were killed: the snakes strangled Antipates and Thumbrianos, and Laocoon himself was poisoned by the poisonous saliva of the monsters.
The second sea snake was described in a book by Swedish historian Olaus Magnus. A giant lived in the northern waters and was much larger than the previous monster.
The snake lived in underwater caves, appearing only at night. The length of the body was 60 meters and the thickness was 6 meters.
The book also said that the sea monster came ashore to hunt cows, pigs and sheep.
Are these stories true, or are they legends that came to us from different countries? Does the sea serpent exist, or has it been a hoax for centuries? Let's find out!
The world knows 2 drawings, both by Gesner. The first of them dates back to 1558.
It depicts a ship with sails. Based on other details, experts concluded that it was a merchant ship. But here’s what’s remarkable: next to the ship there is a giant monster that looks like a sea serpent. Compared to it, the ship seems tiny, although it was not. The drawing itself depicts the moment when the terrible creature ate the sailors.
Gesner's first drawing, 1558.
Of course, when stories about sea serpents gained popularity, research was carried out on all more or less significant mentions.
It turned out that this picture does not depict a snake at all, but an annelid worm.
They are the longest sea animals, have a purple color and various stripes on their backs. Perhaps that is why they resemble snakes.
Did the ringed worm serve as a prototype for the terrible monster - the sea serpent?
It is possible that the sailors saw it for the first time, and only then, passing it through their own imagination, they gave the worm frightening features.
In fact, no matter how huge the annelid worm is, it is a completely harmless creature. The length of individual specimens, of course, can exceed 10-15 m, but they are no thicker than a sausage.
Gesner's second drawing dates back to 1559. Experts agreed that it is a snake that is depicted here. But the wriggling, which is not typical for snakes, does not give 100% confidence. Perhaps the picture depicts a leech, and everything else is the author’s imagination.
So the sea snake doesn't exist? Is the giant monster a fiction and a figment of the imagination? In fact, this is true. No, sea snakes, of course, exist. But these are ordinary snakes that have adapted to life in the water. For example, many similar species live near Australia.
The giant sea serpent described in books, legends, and eyewitness accounts simply would not have survived. Due to its enormous size, it would not be able to develop the necessary speed to obtain food. And since snakes are hunters and feed only on self-killed animals, the giants would simply die of starvation.
It turns out that in the real world there is no such thing as a sea serpent!
The question of how the legends arose and who the coastal residents and sailors saw remains open. It could be algae, dolphins swimming in chains. There could have been walruses or .
In any case, no matter what, there are no full-fledged facts confirming the existence of the monster, which means that at the moment sea snakes are mythical creatures.
Due to the development modern technologies, scientists do not exclude the possibility of new evidence emerging. After all, there is a lot of special equipment: underwater cameras, sensitive motion sensors, devices that record sounds.
Perhaps one day the scientific world will be shocked by the discovery of a new species of marine life.