Cape Town Warned About Venomous Creatures in Water, SA Reacts

• Cape Town beach lovers were warned on the news about poisonous sea creatures washed up on the shore 
• Pet owners were advised to rush their domestic animals to the vet immediately after contact with the fish 
• Social media users were alarmed by the news and shared their thoughts in a thread of 838 comments 

Cape Town ocean lovers spotted a number of washed-up sea creatures resting on the shore.

They soon learned that the species were venomous, dead or alive and that they should stay away from them.

Cape Town ocean lovers warned about venomous fish 

We’re currently in the very last days of summer as March will introduce South Africans to the season of autumn. While the temperatures might drastically drop, people will still have fun at the beach whether it’s fishing or surfing.

Cape Town ocean lovers were warned about venomous sea creatures resting on their shores after being washed up by the sea. Poisonous pufferfish and sea snakes were among the creatures found in the False Bay coastline.

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Frequent beachgoers have been cautioned to be vigilant of the venomous creatures, dead or alive. Pet owners were also advised to rush their domestic animals to the vet after coming in contact with the species.

"If your dog has consumed these species, take them to a vet immediately, as they are highly venomous."

Watch the TikTok video below:

Beach hazard of deadly pufferfish and sea snakes

Officials say this is not a new phenomenon. Strong winds in the past few weeks have brought evil-eye puffer fish and yellow-bellied sea snakes to several beaches, including Hout Bay and Muizenberg.

It appears people are unaware of the danger and have been seen walking on the beach, some even with their dogs. The pufferfish have a deadly toxin called tetrodotoxin, 1,200 times stronger than cyanide. If touched or eaten, they can be extremely harmful.

The coastal management team has been working hard to remove the dead fish and snakes from the beaches to keep people safe.

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Mzansi TikTokkers weigh in

Mzansi people had strong reactions to the TikTok video in the comments section. People are concerned about the risk to pets, especially after one user shared their painful experience of losing a dog to a pufferfish.

Some believe the water animals naturally try to avoid humans, while others speculate about more creatures lurking beneath the surface.

Have a look at some comments below:

@destitutus_ explained:

“Pufferfish will not attack you, they will swim away, but a sea snake is a different story.”

@Safiyya Jenna Muller shared:

“We were warned that these pufferfish and sea snakes are poisonous and that there are no “anti-toxins” for dogs if they have consumed them or even just play with or bite them.”

@user46573736962403 said:

“Australia has or had anti-venom for yellow-bellied sea snakes. Pufferfish is the most deadly sea creature even if you touch the spikes or a dead one. If encountered stay away.”

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@WondrousFlyer suggested:

“Honestly, people just should not let their dogs pick up and play with any animal, never mind pufferfish and sea snakes.”

@Miss Janis G commented:

“I walked along Muizenberg last week and found quite a few pufferfish washed up on shore.”

@André.avante5sai🇿🇦 wrote:

“My dog just held a pufferfish in her mouth for a while and she died the next morning.”

@Carlo carolissen wondered:

“Something tells me there's something else in the ocean. Why would the anglerfish appear out of nowhere also?”

@shahen_14 wrote:

“Imagine the astonishment those sea snakes and pufferfish faced seeing humans in their environment.”

@iναя тнє bσηєℓєѕѕ: 

“I think they just want to cause unnecessary panic. Why? I don't know.”

3 More snake stories by Briefly News

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• A South African woman amazed Mzansi when she shared her story of sleeping with a black mamba to maintain wealth.
• Guests were startled by a giant invasive rock python while on vacation at a lodge in KwaZulu-Natal.

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Hilary Sekgota, human interest head of desk at Briefly News, contributed to this article.

Source: Briefly News