Are venomous sea snakes showing up in the Gulf of Mexico? Years ago, a snake breeder I know told me an incredible story. While fishing an offshore rig near High Island, Texas, he said he encountered what he believed was a banded sea krait—a highly venomous marine snake that isn’t known to inhabit the Gulf of Mexico.
Watch the full investigation here.
That report got my attention for another reason. Two anglers I know had reported a remarkably similar encounter near the 18-Mile Light on Sabine Bank. They described a long, bluish-white and black-striped snake swimming at the surface—and specifically noted what appeared to be a paddle-like tail.
The sightings occurred in the same general region of the northwestern Gulf. Since then, I’ve received additional reports of unusual snake-like animals from other areas along the Gulf Coast, including Alabama and Florida. In this episode, I dig into the eyewitness accounts, the known range of sea snakes and sea kraits, possible explanations for what people are seeing and an intriguing question involving international shipping and ballast water. Are people actually encountering venomous sea snakes in the Gulf—or is something else swimming beneath the surface?