“Poor Snake Must Be Exhausted”: Swimming Black Mamba Rescued From Durban Beach
- A security company shared a video of a black mamba swimming in the waves at a Durban beach
- Beach control asked people to move back and kept children away from the water as they waited for the snake to tire out
- South Africans joked about the snake coming to the coast to enjoy its bonus and leave
Source: Facebook
The Suburban Control Centre posted a video on 24 November 2025 on their Facebook page showing an unusual sight at a Durban beach, a black mamba swimming in the ocean waves. The video showed the dangerous snake surfing through the water as beach control personnel worked to keep beachgoers safe. The post went viral, getting over 1,000 reactions and more than 200 comments as people shared their opinions and jokes about what the snake was doing at the beach.
The video started with waves coming in at the beach when someone filming the water caught a man who said he wanted people to move back and children away from the water. The camera then zoomed in on a black mamba snake riding the waves. The man explained that the snake would eventually get tired and come out of the water, which is why he needed people to clear the surrounding area to prevent anyone from getting attacked. After some time, the snake stopped swimming and stayed on the shore as the water kept pushing it back on land.
The exhausted snake remained still after all the swimming it had done. A snake catcher and some helpers ran towards the black mamba, and the catcher carefully grabbed its tail with one hand and used his snake-catching tool to hold its head and neck area. They smoothly picked it up and placed it into a plastic container to keep people safe. A beach control vehicle arrived, and Search and Rescue teams from the Police Department took charge of the snake in the container.
They planned to release it in an area where it wouldn't affect people. The snake was very large, measuring almost two metres long, and it was lucky it hadn't attacked anyone and was spotted quickly.
Source: Facebook
Mzansi reacts to the swimming snake
Social media users shared their thoughts on the unusual sighting, with many making jokes about why the snake was in the water on the Facebook page @suburbancontrolcentre's clip:
@Ephraim Jonas asked:
"How did a black mamba get there? Just how? How?"
@Ferhana Smit-hahmed joked:
"That snake had a rough year. He came all the way from the inland to the coast to spend his bonus and enjoy his leave."
@Adrian Pillay wrote:
"Going to be plenty of Black Mambas on the beaches from next weekend.. 🤣🤣🤣 Be safe, guys."
@Vagalles Reddy said:
"Poor snake must be exhausted."
@Teboho Moloi added:
"A whole new meaning to snake in the sea."
@Omphile Kas shared:
"Last year it was star fish, now it's snakes 😢😢😢"
Facts about black mambas
According to The African Snake Bite Institute, the black mamba is the longest venomous snake in Africa, usually measuring around 2.2 to 2.8 metres, though some can grow up to 3.8 metres. It gets its name from the black inside of its mouth, which it shows when it feels threatened.
The black mamba isn’t naturally aggressive; it’s just very nervous and will escape if it can. It’s active during the day and often shelters in termite mounds, old burrows, and rocky hills. It hunts warm-blooded animals like rodents, squirrels, and birds. Fewer than a dozen mamba bites are reported in South Africa each year, and in Durban, more than 100 are safely removed from gardens and homes annually with almost no bite incidents. Still, their venom is highly dangerous, so anyone bitten needs urgent medical treatment.
Watch the Facebook video below:
More scary snake encounters in SA
- Briefly News recently reported on a man who spooked South Africans after he was filmed playing with a black mamba he spotted along the road.
- A massive 6-metre python spotted slithering through a Matopos farm left Mzansi stunned.
- A snake catcher handled another dangerous encounter that had social media users praising the bravery required to deal with venomous reptiles.
Source: Briefly News
