Advertisement

Surfing snake: Eastern brown swims at popular Queensland beach, stuns onlookers

Well this was all very unexpected....

Beachgoers were left lost for words when an eastern brown showed up at a local Queensland beach seemingly for a sunbake, or a swim, or even possibly a slightly awkward snuggle.

Local snake catchers were called to the scene of a popular Maroochydore beach when tourists saw the slithering reptile shockingly emerge from the ocean.

The cheeky snake decided to go for a swim at the popular swimming spot. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
The cheeky snake decided to go for a swim at the popular swimming spot. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
Yep, that's a sizeable snake on the beach in Queensland. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
Yep, that's a sizeable snake on the beach in Queensland. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.

The unusual occurrence left locals scratching their heads, and also slightly on edge.

The highly-venomous reptile then hid in a near-by atv belonging to the local surf life saving club.

“There he is, that’s a big eastern brown snake just hiding underneath,” the snake catcher can be heard on the footage once arriving on scene.

“I’ve got a brown snake in the atv here.

“We’ll have a bit of a fiddle round and see if we can get him out.”


The stealthy snake catcher eventually managed - following several failed attempts - to remove the snake from underneath the atv.

According to Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers eastern brown snakes are an “extremely common sight” along the coastline of south-east Queensland’s coast however it’s highly unusual for the species to “cross such a large open area” and venture so close to the waters edge.

If you peer closely, you'll be able to spot the snake's head hiding under the atv. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
If you peer closely, you'll be able to spot the snake's head hiding under the atv. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
An eastern brown snake has been caught inside a surf rescue buggy on the Sunshine Coast. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.
An eastern brown snake has been caught inside a surf rescue buggy on the Sunshine Coast. Source: Sunshine Coast Snake Catchers 24/7.

“Its likely that the animal was instead snatched up by a Bird of Prey (most likely an Osprey or White-bellied Sea Eagle) and managed to wriggle his way free over the surf, before washing up on the beach,” they wrote as past of their post to social media explaining how the snake ended up swimming in the water.

The snake was eventually relocated to a more suitable habitat.

Snake sighting recently have been a more common occurrence across the sunshine state as we enter breeding season for snakes.

RELATED VIDEO:

‘Kermit had a bad Sunday afternoon’: Hilarious commentary as snake devours frog