Facebook user Crystal published images in a Surfside Beach group on Saturday revealing a black snake in the water.
“Snake on the beach today,” the image caption mentioned. “It looks like a water moccasin. It was near the canal run off near 10th avenue north. Crazy!!”
One commenter exclaimed, “That’s why I no longer go in the water,” while another joked, “Tourist control snake.”
CCU biologist Scott Parker, who studies snakes, said the visualized snake seemed a safe eastern garter snake.
“I can tell you with 100% confidence that it’s not a cottonmouth, it’s not a water moccasin, it is not any of the venomous species that we have in the area,” Parker said. “In addition, the Atlantic Ocean doesn’t have sea snakes, venomous or otherwise.”
Spotting a snake on the beach is “pretty rare” however not unusual, Parker said. A safe corn snake was found on the sands of North Myrtle Beach in January. In July 2022, a visitor to Myrtle Beach State Park discovered a poisonous canebrake rattlesnake in the browse.
Parker presumed the snake might have gotten purged to the ocean in a drain canal from close-by Dogwood Lake or “ventured out into the saltwater to see if it could catch a fish.”
Garter snakes are semi-aquatic and although they choose fresh water, can make it through for numerous hours in seawater.
If you see an unknown snake on the beach, Parker said leave it be.
“Remember that snakes, even venomous ones, are a lot more afraid of you than probably you are of them,” he said.
