Giant Snake Washes Up On Shore, See The Shocking Photo

See the giant snake wash up in the waves on this North Carolina beach.

By Faith McKay | Published

This article is more than 2 years old

giant snake

They say that you never know what the tide may bring in. In Cast Away, these were words of comfort for Tom Hanks as he watched for debris that he could build a life raft with. For one North Carolina resident, the tide brought in what could have looked, from a distance, like some seaweed. Instead, it was a giant snake.

See the photo from Sunset Beach in North Carolina of the giant snake below.

The giant snake in the waves sighting follows a recent sighting of an alligator on nearby Myrtle Beach. Local snake catchers have said that sightings of these reptiles is bound to become more common as the area is undergoing development. With so many new buildings coming up in the area, snakes and alligators are being driven out of their normal habitat. As that happens, humans are bound to run into giant snakes and alligators and other creatures who aren’t sure where to exist now that their original homes have been taken over.

It is unclear what kind of giant snake we’re seeing in this photo, particularly since it came in with the waves. It’s unclear how far away the snake could have come from. Many online commenters have jumped to discussing whether this snake is venomous. There are six types of venomous snakes in the area. One of the key ways to tell what kind of giant snake this is would be to get close enough to check out the reptile’s pupils, but that’s not actually advisable. In fact, local snake catchers have said that the best thing to do when you spot a potentially dangerous reptile in the area is to stand far away and observe from a very far distance, much too far to be checking out a snake’s pupils.

However, if the snake is venomous, it would most likely be the cottonmouth, also known as a water moccasin. Those are the local water snakes. They tend to average four feet in length, but the local record is six feet. It’s hard to judge from this photo, but this giant snake appears like it may be too big to be a cottonmouth.

Regardless of whether it’s a venomous giant snake or just a very big one, non-venomous snakes can still bite, particularly when provoked. That’s why keeping a safe distance is the best advice for dealing with these reptiles.

Of course, that’s not always possible. The snakes and alligators would likely prefer to keep a safe distance from humans as well, but we run into each other. There are plenty of stories online of giant snakes hiding out in people’s bathrooms or otherwise showing up where they weren’t expected to be.

Many of the online commenters seeing the recent photos of reptiles in their area have shared that while they’ve loved the beach their whole lives, seeing all the photos makes them want to stay far away from the water. That’s understandable. It’s hard to imagine frolicking in the waves when that dark shape rolling in may be a giant snake. While there’s not much to be done about the fact that snakes exist, it’s good to remember that it’s not all that common to spot them and all you need to do is your best to stay away. And, of course, if you can do so from a safe distance, snap a picture for the internet.

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