The photographer's eye

The sea-snakes of New Caledonia: Whether ashore or at sea, you can observe them… but don’t disturb them!

Name: Jonathan Jagot Age: 25 years old Specialty: Sailing around the world for over 12 years

Published 08/12/2023

By Jonathan Jagot

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Issue: 193

Published: jan. / feb. 2024

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There’s the striped sailor’s sweater (“tricot” in French) and the New Caledonian Tricot Rayé (or Sea Krait). The latter is an endemic species of snake in this French territory in the South Pacific. Its distinguishing visual feature is the distinctive pattern of stripes (between 20 and 65) that adorn its skin, varying harmoniously from beige to brownish, sometimes blue and yellow, giving this reptile a characteristic look. The Sea Krait is 3 to 6 feet (1 to 2 m) long and the female is larger than the male.

This creature, which is mainly active at night, lives in the forests and wooded areas of the archipelago, particularly on the many islets that border the Great Barrier Reef. The preservation of this species is of course dependent on maintaining its natural habitat - tree stumps, decomposing vegetation, etc.

This snake behaves just as well on land as it does in the water. In fact, the New Caledonian Sea Krait is capable of ...

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