Venomous snake bolts into sea from beneath paddleboard at popular Welsh beach
Venomous snake bolts into sea from beneath paddleboard at popular Welsh beach
The adder bolted into the sea after being discovered under a paddleboard at a beach in North Wales - and people have been left feeling uneasy after watching the video
A poisonous snake made a beeline for the ocean after being discovered hiding under a paddleboard on a beach in Gwynedd. It began surfing the waves, showcasing its remarkable swimming abilities.
A viral video clip of the juvenile adder taking a plunge off Pwllheli's coast stunned viewers with its aquatic skills, but also sparked concerns among those planning their next beach trip. Adders, which often inhabit sand dunes, are not uncommon on the Llŷn Peninsula, although they are rarely spotted.
While they don't typically venture into the sea, they may seek cooler areas to regulate their body temperature on hot days, sometimes taking a brief dip.
The 18-inch (45cm) long snake was found lurking under a paddleboard at Morfa'r Garreg, near Pwllheli's Carreg yr Imbyll (Gimblet Rock), after being left unattended for just five minutes - long enough for the adder to make itself at home.
Raymond Vaughan Jones, the paddleboard's owner, said he was "more surprised than shocked". He said: "I'd never seen a snake on a beach before and certainly nowhere near the sea," reports North Wales Live.
Upon being discovered, the young snake slithered towards the water's edge, prompting Raymond to grab his mobile phone. The resulting footage elicited primal responses from viewers when shared on social media.
Article continues below
At one point, the female snake pauses and lifts its head after a brief swim. "That's a defensive pose," commented an Australian man online.
"When the head is lifted and held still like that, it is saying, 'that's close enough'."
Many were simply astounded to learn that adders can swim. Over time, Britain's only venomous snake has been sighted in lakes and canals.
The young female adder was spotted trying to hide under a paddleboard
(Image: Raymond Vaughan Jones )
Typically, swimming serves a purpose, such as evading a perceived threat, which was likely the case here.
Unlike certain snakes, adders are not primarily aquatic and do not hunt in water. Despite this, they've been discovered in the sea and even in rock pools, like this recent incident on the photogenic Anglesey.
Adders won't react unless provoked, whether intentionally or not. Nevertheless, Pwllheli's "surfing snake" managed to unsettle some, leading to numerous "OMG" exclamations online.
"I love the beach but this is too much, feel physically ill just watching this," expressed one woman. Another chimed in: "Omg snakes as well now! I would drown, if I met this in the water."
A third simply exclaimed: "Jjjeeeeessssss!".
Upon returning from an hour on the water, Raymond discovered the snake was still by the water's edge. Concerned for its well-being, he said: "I was worried it could be in trouble, or could pose a threat to children and dogs, so I picked it up with a paddle and carried it to the dunes."
Adders are known to flourish in various environments throughout North Wales, such as heathland, moorland, and open woodland. They are often spotted along the coast, and those frequenting Pen Llŷn are particularly vigilant when walking their pets, more so during this season and following prolonged dry weather.
A local shared online that she had encountered five adders beneath a field groundsheet on the same day.
While some people appreciate the snakes for their role in the ecological equilibrium of the area, others may feel apprehensive.
The adder was still on the beach when Raymond returned from paddle boarding
(Image: Raymond Vaughan Jones )
A Wrexham resident commented online: "It's perfectly natural for some people to feel uneasy around snakes - especially when it comes to adders."
Article continues below
"But fear shouldn't override understanding. Adders are a shy and reclusive part of Britain's wildlife, not lurking threats. They don't seek out humans, and bites are rare – typically only occurring when they're startled or stepped on."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
North Wales Live
19 hours ago
- North Wales Live
Iconic 'Popeye' boat reported missing in ‘Abersoch Triangle'
An old fishing vessel that's featured in countless photos has been listed as 'missing' by its perplexed owner. Known as the 'Red Boat', it has languished in Abersoch's inner harbour, Gwynedd, for at least a quarter of a century. The boat's chubby outline and striking colour gave it semi-iconic status – so much so that it featured on a school mural and appeared in a children's story. But in late May, owner Peter Hazell was left scratching his head when arriving at the harbour to find its berth empty. The businessman bought the Red Boat as a renovation project five years ago – he was hoping to make a start once legal matters had been clarified. After its disappearance, he issued an appeal on Facebook 's Abersoch Appreciation Page but this drew a blank. 'It's still a mystery,' he said. 'There are over 20,000 people in that group yet not one person has offered any sensible clues. Someone must have authorised and paid for its removal.' In the absence of information, the appeal became the butt of gentle online humour instead. One man wondered if the boat had disappeared into the 'Abersoch Triangle'. Another added: 'Popeye probably wanted it back.' A call was issued to check back gardens. Little is known about the boat's history or name. Over the years it's had several owners with some living onboard for short spells. Join the North Wales Live WhatsApp community group where you can get the latest stories delivered straight to your phone Online photos of the Red Boat residing at the inner harbour go back to at least 2001. Not so long ago the vessel was the main feature of a mural on Ysgol Sarn Bach near Abersoch. Its most recent known appearance in a photo was on May 15. Despite being in a poor state of repair, Mr Hazell had ambitions to renovate the boat once he'd established who was responsible for the berth. His aim was to formalise the berthing arrangement on land with no obvious ownership – he said the Land Registry has been unable to clarify. He said: 'I fully acknowledge that cosmetically the boat was in poor condition, although the hull was solid. She rested above the high average high water mark and the hull would only be exposed to water on high spring tides. 'My intention was to renovate and I am confident Red Boat was capable of being made weatherproof and waterproof. But before doing so I wanted to be sure of the rights of occupation.' Local enquiries about the boat's whereabouts have so far failed to provide answers. Natural Resources Wales has been removing abandoned boats, classified as marine litter, but its efforts have so far focussed solely on the Dee Estuary in northeast Wales. If it was removed as part of a clean-up, by a different body, Mr Hazell wonders why he wasn't approached first, being the known owner. 'How has someone has just removed my boat without notice?,' he said. 'No one is wanting to take responsibility.' Get all the latest Gwynedd news by signing up to our newsletter - sent every Tuesday If anyone has any knowledge of the Red Boat's location, or who might have ordered its removal, Mr Hazell can be messaged via his appeal post on Facebook here.
Wales Online
20 hours ago
- Wales Online
Wales is recruiting ‘nowhere near enough' secondary teachers
Wales is recruiting 'nowhere near enough' secondary teachers Only a third of the number of secondary school teachers have been recruited Wales is only training around a third of the necessary secondary school teachers, with nowhere near enough recruits and no improvement in sight, an education chief warned. The Welsh Government aims to train about 1,000 teachers each year but the Education Workforce Council issued 369 certificates, according to the latest data from August 2024. A further 34 people trained through an Open University route. In August, 27 maths teachers got their certificates, but 130 is the target. In terms of Welsh teachers, the hope is for 80 to 90 but only 20 completed training in 2024. Education Workforce Council (EWC) chief executive Hayden Llewellyn, gave evidence to the Senedd education committee and said the trend for secondary schools has gotten worse over the past ten to 20 years, with improvements during the pandemic 'dropping back significantly'. He told Senedd members: "I'm sorry to say, having tracked recruitment and retention for many years – I can't really see secondary improving." For our free daily briefing on the biggest issues facing the nation, sign up to the Wales Matters newsletter here Recruitment in some subjects – such as PE, history and geography – is fine but maths, English, sciences, Welsh and modern foreign languages are particularly low, he said. EWC data showed 75% of those teaching maths are trained in the subject and, speaking more generally, he said the number is lower still for sciences. He warned: 'Given the picture with recruitment, we could see that picture deteriorating." In terms of primary school teachers, the Welsh Government aims for about 600 primary teachers to be trained each year, a number which overdelivered in August 2024. Article continues below Eithne Hughes, the EWC's chair, added that some in Wales are teaching not just their specialism 'but possibly a couple of others, adding to the workload pressure'. Ms Hughes said: 'That becomes an issue when you've got reduced funding and headteachers just having to have somebody in front of classes. It doesn't support standards.' Mr Llewellyn raised the example set by Scotland where teachers' registration is linked to a specific subject or phase. 'You cannot teach a subject you're not trained in,' he said. Mr Llewellyn said the number of Welsh-speaking teachers is 33% – higher than the census – but it has remained static despite initiatives, with a lower number among support staff. He told the committee the number of Welsh speakers currently completing training is about 20% for primaries and 18% for secondaries, against a target of 30%. "When you magnify that down into particular subjects, you see those figures dropping," he said, adding that only three of the 27 new maths teachers were Welsh speakers. Ms Hughes, a former headteacher in an English-medium school, told Senedd members she found recruiting Welsh teachers extremely difficult during her experience. Pressed about the key barriers and why Welsh Government targets are 'continually missed', Ms Hughes pointed to work-life balance, policy overload, pay, and behavioural problems. She suggested teachers are expected to be a social worker, police officer and medical expert, stressing: 'We have to allow the business of teaching… to be at the core'. Mr Llewellyn agreed: "What it means to be a teacher… in terms of workload, stress, bureaucracy, accountability, lack of autonomy, and pupil behaviour – it's a tough gig." He urged policymakers to treat the causes rather than the symptoms as he questioned 'flashy' promotional campaigns: "If what you're trying to promote isn't good, it won't work." Pointing out that the starting salary for some bus drivers is near to teachers' in Wales, he warned: "The reality is: to be convinced to be a teacher is increasingly unlikely." Asked about retention, he said around 2,400 teachers leave the EWC register every year, concluding:"We need to watch this really carefully because it's OK when you lose individuals from the profession and you're recruiting the number you need back. But… we are recruiting nowhere near the number of secondary and Welsh-medium teachers that we need. Attrition is OK if you're replacing but therein lies the problem." Article continues below
The Independent
21 hours ago
- The Independent
Housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop charged with murder
The housemates of missing Australian teenager Pheobe Bishop have been charged with murder three weeks after she disappeared. James Wood, 34, and Tanika Bromley, 33, were on Thursday charged with one count each of murder and two counts each of interfering with a corpse, Queensland Police said. Ms Bishop, 17, was last seen on her way to Bundaberg airport in Queensland on 15 May. Police believe she was supposed to board a flight at 8.30am to Brisbane and then onto Perth to meet with her boyfriend, but CCTV footage showed she did not enter the terminal at the airport. In a statement, Queensland Police said that her body had not yet been located. Both Mr Wood and Ms Bromley will appear at Bundaberg Magistrates Court on Friday.
