Snakes on the Beach in Costa Rica: No Reason to Worry

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Sea SnakeOne of the most pristine beaches in Costa Rica is home to luxury resorts, spectacular real estate, lush vegetation, sugary sands, and yellow-bellied snakes that slither right out of the ocean and give some people a good scare. Playa Flamingo is located on the Gold Coast of Guanacaste, one of the hottest tourist spots in Costa Rica, and it is here where sightings of Pelamis platura, yellow-bellied sea snakes, have increased over the last few months.

These pelagic sea snakes have been observed with greater frequency near the docks of the local Coast Guard Station Flamingo, but on more than one occasion they have been spotted right on the beach, not far from swimmers, surfers and sunbathers. In February, residents of Playa Flamingo contacted journalists from PrimeroenNoticias.com, a Guanacaste online news portal, and reported encounters with these oceanic reptiles.

It so happens that these yellow-bellied snakes, which swim near tropical shores around the world, are very venomous. Although Costa Rica is a world leader in herpetological research and antivenin production, the national laboratory on serpents does not have any antidote in stock for Pelamis platura, and there is a good reason for this: This is an extremely docile species that has never been known as biting humans.

If you see one of these sea snakes in Playa Flamingo or elsewhere in the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, there is a good chance that it is confused or moribund, and it will likely try to slither away from humans. The female of this species can reach a length of 80 centimeters, its appearance is grey to dark with a phosphorescent yellow belly. A couple of years ago, the Waikato Times of New Zealand published a “warning” about these snakes, which should be heeded by those in Playa Flamingo:

Swimmers are being told not be surprised if they find themselves swimming alongside a highly venomous sea snake related to the cobra.

The yellow-bellied sea snake – Pelamis platura – usually preys on fish, eating them head first after a fatal bite, and is one of the world’s most poisonous snakes.

Bites to humans are uncommon, since its fangs are set back in its mouth, but its venom can cause paralysis or renal damage.

In the past, The Costa Rica Star has also reported on shark sightings and caiman encounters near the Guanacaste shore.

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