A two-foot long, yellow-bellied sea snake of the Pelamis Platurus species was found in the sand of Silver Strand Beach in Oxnard this past Friday. The snake died shortly after being taken to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Services office in Ventura, according to Heal the Bay officials.
Experts say that warmer waters caused by El Niño are allowing this species of snake to swim north of their tropical habitat south of the border. The snake is the first of its species to be found in southern California since 1983, which was also an El Niño year.
The snakes are highly venomous but are unlikely to attack unless grabbed, according to experts. Beachgoers are advised to keep at a distance if a snake is sighted.