Today’s photo of the week is of a yellow-bellied sea snake (Pelamis platurus).
Sea snakes and kraits are occasional visitors to New Zealand’s waters, arriving here naturally from time to time on ocean currents.
On Sunday, a yellow-bellied sea snake was spotted at Tapuae Estate Beach, just south of New Plymouth.
Encounters with these venomous sea snakes in New Zealand are rare, as they are a tropical species and only sighted 2-3 times each year.
If sighted please keep a safe distance, get a photo if possible and report the sighting to DOC.
Photo: Aloaiza | CC BY 3.0.
Great shot!