Honolulu Star-Advertiser © Susan Scott
October 11, 1999
ONCE, while kayaking in Palau, my friends and I discovered a cave big enough to walk through. We beached the kayaks and started in, each of us carefully following one another. As we proceeded into the deep, twisting cave, the natural light faded and the surf sounds dwindled to a murmur.
“It’s spooky in here,” one woman said, her voice echoing off the limestone walls.
Others agreed but I liked this cool, dark place in the middle of the sweltering tropics. Besides, I thought, what could be in here to fear?
Seconds later, the woman walking ahead of the group let out a blood-curdling shriek, gruesomely enhanced by the flat cave walls. Scared out of our wits, we crowded around the leader as she steadied her dive light on the floor in front of her. And there was the object of the woman’s terror: a banded sea snake, coiled up like a small garden hose.
Finding a snake here surprised us all because even though sea snakes breath air, most species live completely at sea.
This is especially true of the yellow-bellied sea snake, the only species that ever makes it to Hawaii. This snake travels on currents across tropical oceans, coming ashore only by accident when strong winds or unusual currents carry it there.
That’s likely what happened last winter when a Hawaii resident found a live yellow-bellied sea snake on a Maui beach. Rather than beating it to death (most people’s first instinct), this thoughtful man notified wildlife officials. Soon, biologists at the Waikiki Aquarium were nursing the injured reptile back to health.
You can now see this snake, partially paralyzed but still active, at a special aquarium exhibit.
WHY visit a venomous snake? One reason is they’re beautiful. I had never seen a yellow-bellied sea snake before and was unprepared for its exquisite colors. This well-named snake’s bright yellow undersides contrast sharply against its black back, giving the animal a striking appearance. These distinctive colors are nature’s way of advertising the creature’s venomous bite.
Another reason to visit this snake is so you’ll know one when you see it. Over the years, dozens of people have told me they saw a sea snake in Hawaii’s waters, when what they described was a snake eel or a moray eel. Once you’ve seen this snake, you won’t ever wonder again.
Yellow-bellied sea snakes are so rare here that this is the first one displayed at the aquarium since 1982. The previous snake lived three years.
Even though it isn’t swimming quite right, the snake currently on display I hope will live a long life as an ambassador of its species. Aquarium biologists, who say the snake seems fit, feed it larval mullet and awa, grown at the Oceanic Institute aquaculture facility.
HOW does one feed a captive sea snake? Carefully — with tongs. That way, keepers know the snake is eating adequately but don’t risk getting bitten.
Since a bite can be lethal, working with sea snakes is tricky. When I asked aquarium biologist Jerry Crow about the sex of the snake, he laughed. “You could probably tell if you examined it closely. But I’m not reaching in there to find out.”
The venom of these cobra cousins paralyzes prey quickly to prevent their escape.
In humans, sea snake venom can cause death. Never, ever touch a sea snake with a bare hand. Even dead or decapitated, the creature’s persistent bite reflex can cause a strike.
The banded sea snake we found in the Palau cave slept through our noisy intrusion. We tiptoed away and let it sleep.