Is this the world's most
dangerous beach? Locals snap picture of deadly Cape cobra SNAKE in shallows of
shark-infested waters in South Africa
·
Snake spotted taking a dip on
Hout Bay beach, in Cape Town, South Africa
·
Visitors and residents photograph
the snake as it plots its next move
·
Reptile expert believes 1.8m
snake was trying to plot escape route
·
Residents living nearby speak of
their fear following incident
A local strolling on a beach in Cape Town has snapped terrifying
photos of a deadly Cape cobra in the shallows.
The snake, which was estimated to
be up to 1.8m in length was spotted on Hout Bay beach, make its way along the
sand to the water.
Photos have since been shared on
social networking sites, with Hout Bay resident Jeffery Rinks among those who
managed to capture the snake on camera.
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A combination of deadly snake and
sharks could make Hout Bay the world's most dangerous beach
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The snake was trapped between photographer
and the shark-infested water
Speaking to South African radio
station 567 CapeTalk, snake and reptile expert Shaun Macleod said: 'That's
fantastic, that's a beautiful size, they seldom get to that size.'
He explained that snakes soak in
water when they are about to shed as their skin gets irritated and says it
probably ended up in the water on this occasion because the photographer was
blocking its escape route.
He said: 'So the snake was trying everything it could to move away
from the photographer and ended up in the water, it's a fantastic shot. It
looks like the guy's having a surf, [it's] fantastic.'
Experts explained that the snake
would only become dangerous if it is disturbed or people tamper with it and
Macleod said 98 per cent of snake bites are self-inflicted.
Hout Bay is known for its
shark-infested waters and boat tours can be taken by visitors to see seal
colonies and other marine life.
The photos of the cobra were
shared on Twitter, with many expressing their shock and disbelief at the size
of the snake, as well as the situation itself.
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Residents who live on Hout Bay
have voiced their worry after the deadly cobra was spotted on the beach
Ina Gouws wrote on Twitter: 'I'd
collapse; scared to death,' while Thandile Ntshwanti said: 'This thing
about the cobra and the beach in Cape Town, just messed up my holiday plans...
Can't be swimming with no cobras.
Ayanda Shayi wrote: 'A 2 meter
long cobra having a swim in Cape Town Hout Bay... I think we need to review our
vacation plan,' and JodieCocker added: 'Just when we thought it was safe to
venture onto the beach or into the sea.. BOOM - Cape Cobra of Fear!'
Iain Macdonald said: 'This must
have been an impressive sight to see, especially the size of this Cape Cobra
snake on Hout Bay beach.'
Meanwhile residents who live near
to where the cobra was spotted have voiced their safety concerns after the
release of the pictures.
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The snake was ushered away from
people and dogs by beach-goers throwing sand towards it
Speaking to the Daily
Sun Lungisa Benzile said: 'I was shocked when I saw photos of that huge
snake crawling on the beach.
'We will avoid the beach. We have
had problems with snakes here before.'
CapeTalk were contacted by Hout
Bay-based Rinks, who told the radio station that along with a friend, they managed
to encourage the snake off the sand and under a log until the reptile experts
arrived to capture the animal.
'I immediately made sure people
kept away from it, put the dog on a leash, and my priority then was to ensure
the safety of the snake and the people and dogs that were out.
'I was joined by a woman who
quite confidently suggested we try and herd the snake away from the water.
'Between the two of us we threw
sand at the snake. Eventually the snake came up to a log and I stayed with (it)
for about an hour.'
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