Why There Are No Sea Snakes in the Atlantic Ocean
Despite being virtually absent from the Caribbean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean, sea snakes are more common in the world’s oceans than sea turtles.
According to Britannica, sea snakes are the most abundant marine reptile on Earth, with around 60 known species split into two subfamilies: the true sea snakes and the sea kraits.
Most species of sea snakes can be found in coastal waters throughout Southeast Asia, Northern Australia, and parts of the Pacific Ocean. Because sea snakes need warm water to regulate their body temperature, the cold water regions to the south of Africa and South America restrict their range.
Human deaths by these marine reptiles are rare, although their venom is the most potent of all snakes. Fatalities are also rare since sea snakes are not aggressive, their venom output is small, and their fangs are shorter than those of terrestrial snakes.
Folllowing the completion of the Panama Canal in 1914, sea snakes have been sighted in the Caribbean Sea.
Scientists believe sea snakes can enter the Caribbean Sea through the canal but are unlikely to have the numbers to establish permanent colonies.