These sea snakes have been reported to have attacked human divers “unprovoked. ” Though even if the snake doesn’t bite, it can still put divers in danger by throwing them into a panic mode. According to the researchers who published the scientific paper, they reviewed available data on sea snake attacks. They noticed that these “attacks” mainly involved males and this primarily happens during the breeding season. And there is a huge possibility that the incidents also occurred in the midst of activities like sea snake courting rituals or two rival males fighting. Rick Shine, a herpetologist and study co-author of Macquarie University in Australia told The New York Times that “In fact, it’s just a lovesick boy looking for a girlfriend and making a rather foolish mistake.” Co-author Ross Alford, professor emeritus Australia’s James Cook University explained that sea snakes have poor vision. That is why they seem to be launching themselves at divers in an attempt to find out whether they’re suitable mates. He added, “They just go, ’Hey, there’s a big thing over there. I’ll just go check if it’s a female snake. ’” He also added that once the snake realizes that you are not mate-material, then he’ll just leave you alone. In fact, even for those with deadly venom, it’s a rare chance when one gets killed from a sea snake bite. That’s because they’re retiring creatures. The sea snakes are known to be very shy and would rather swim away from humans and other creatures. A sea snake would rather find ways to slip away into quieter waters. And because of this discovery, Alford recommended that if you find yourself in this unpleasant situation, there’s no need to panic. All you have to do is simply stay calm and allow the snake to “investigate” you “with its tongue.” Shine also noted that these sea snakes move so fast. Even if you try to outswim them, you probably won’t be able to get away anyway. Also, trying to fight it is just likely to make the snake more aggressive. That scary reputation of these creatures, unfortunately, scares a lot of divers. But the truth of the matter is that an encounter with a sea snake should not be that terrifying or dangerous. As long as you know how to treat them, it will be, at the very least, an awkward encounter between you two. Just to keep your nerves at ease, remember that in general, sea snakes bites are rare, only 3% have been recorded to be fatal.