Ocean
Watch
Monday, October 11, 1999
Sea snake can be seen
safely at Aquarium
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.
