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The ocean is filled with a ton of eye-catching creatures, and more than a few of the animals that fall under that umbrella can kill you. That includes the cone snail one woman picked up while searching for shells in Japan before realizing she’d made a very big mistake.
The nature of evolution means most species have gradually undergone changes designed to promote their survival and ability to reproduce, and that’s reflected in the various defense mechanisms many animals have developed over time.
For example, nature is filled with poisonous creatures that tend to stick out thanks to their bright coloring, which is designed to make potential predators think twice about eating them unless they want to suffer the consequences (a phenomenon known as “aposematism”).
Animals that fit that particular bill can also attract the attention of humans who might not even be aware they’re putting themselves at risk by touching them; in 2023, an unsuspecting tourist in Australia unknowingly stared death in the face by picking up a blue-ring octopus that can emit an incredibly potent neurotoxin.
That brings us to Beckylee Rawls, a 29-year-old woman who lives in Japan and headed to the shore of Okinawa earlier this month in a quest to collect some seashells.
She eventually came across one with a black-and-white scale pattern that she picked up before realizing a creature had already set up shop inside—an animal she soon discovered was a cone snail that has the potential to kill a human being.
@beckyleeinoki I made a mistake that could have cost me everything. Share this with anyone who lives or vacations near the ocean so they’re aware of the danger of cone snails. #oceansafety #conesnail #marinelife #shelling #tidepool #coneshell #marinebiology
Cone snails hunt and defend themselves with the aid of a harpoon-shaped tooth that delivers a venom that’s capable of causing respiratory failure and paralysis in some situations.
As of 2018, there were 36 recorded instances of a human dying after being stung by one, and while the geographer, tulip, and striated varieties of the cone snail are viewed as the most dangerous due to their larger size, experts recommend avoiding all of them if you can (it apppears Rawls was drawn to the “banded marble” type).
At least she now has the knowledge that will help her avoid making the same mistake again—and I can only hope I’ve helped open some eyes as well.