That’s exactly what happened to Thomas Mesaglio when he came across an Elegant Sea Snake on North Haven Beach on Monday, September 24 at about 3.30pm. 

He estimated the snake was about 1.4 metres long. 

Thomas is an avid beach comber and visits the area regularly from Sydney. 

“It was an unusual find, but I wasn’t hugely surprised,” he said. 

“I found one washed up at the same place in 2012, and the stormy weather and rough seas were perfect beachcombing conditions for unusual discoveries.”

Thomas has been visiting the Camden Haven every few months for his entire life. 

“I’ve spent a lot of time on North Haven Beach,” he said. 

Thomas enjoys beachcombing and tries to partake in the activity at least once a week.

“I do all my beachcombing either up here (Camden Haven) when I can or around the northern beaches when I’m back in Sydney,” he said. 

Thomas is currently in the process of writing a field guide to beachcombing between Sydney and Port Macquarie.

According to Australian Wildlife the Elegant Sea Snake is a dangerous venomous sea snake and can grow up to two metres long. 

They are commonly found in Australian waters from south west Western Australia, Northern Territory, Queensland and northern New South Wales.