| Porthole 20 Aug 21

THE golden sea snake, known for occasionally chasing fishermen and divers through the ocean, is not mounting an attack – it’s just lonely.

The highly venomous snake will often chase and attack divers without any provocation, an interaction which often ends with the snake wrapping itself around a diver’s leg or arm and chomping down – not ideal given the snake is highly venomous and deaths are recorded often.

The reason for these unprovoked attacks isn’t fully understood, but a new study, published today in Scientific Reports, suggests the snake may just think you’re cute.

“Agitated rapid approaches by males, easily interpreted as attacks, often occurred after a courting male lost contact with a female he was pursuing,” the study says.