Beneath the waters of the Gulf, the sea snakes glide sinuously. In the winter they will move to the shallows, where swimmers would do best to avoid them.
On occasion, when the current is strong, they wash ashore - but they should never be touched, warns Saif Alghais, an associate professor of biology at UAE University and the executive director of the environment authority in Ras al Khaimah.
"Their venom is 10 times more [poisonous] than that of the king cobra, but the good thing is that they can't open their mouths as widely as that of a normal snake," he says.
"To bite a diver or someone on the shore, it would aim towards appendages like the finger."
In 2008, the Environment Agency - Abu Dhabi (EAD) issued a public warning not to touch the reptiles after a member of the public brought a live one into the agency.
But people should not be alarmed, says Dr Himansu S Das, a marine biologist at the EAD.
"There are very few incidences of sea snake bites here, or globally. They do not attack or bite, even if you [come across them] underwater or come in close contact with them elsewhere. Their fangs are inwardly directed, so they don't have the muscles to bite [effectively]. They would have to chew your finger - which they would do if they got defensive or angry."
Should someone be bitten, they need to get to a hospital as quickly as possible. Sea snake venom can damage the nervous system and stop blood from clotting properly.
It can also have a range of other unwelcome effects such as nausea, vomiting, thickening of the tongue and numbness. On very rare occasions, people will die.
Of the roughly 70 known species of sea snake, five or six live in the UAE's waters. They grow up to two metres long and are usually to be found near coral, attracted by the abundance of food.
"They feed on small fish mainly," says Prof Alghais.
"They have to come to the surface to breathe - so usually when you see a sea snake it's an indication that there is a coral reef in that area."
Completely aquatic, the sea snakes of the Arabian Gulf are all from the genus Hydrophis, referred to as true sea snakes.
They live for 10 to 15 years. Females start giving birth after two years, to live young rather than laying eggs, and produce three to 15 offspring every year or two.
During the summer months the reptiles typically stay eight to 20 metres underwater, according to Dr Das.
In the winter they venture up towards the surface. "They prefer warm water, which takes them to the shallow areas of sea."
For now, thorough information on Arabian Gulf sea snakes and some of their cousins is sparse, says Dr Amanda Lane, a representative for the International Union for the Conservation of Nature's species survival commission in Sydney, Australia.
The problem, she says, is that many species are "extremely cryptic and hard to find.
"Because many live in remote oceanic regions, it is only through incidental capture in fishing trawler nets that some species are known at all. Also many people fear being bitten, which does not encourage study."
According to the IUCN, approximately eight per cent of sea snake species have been classified as endangered, while a third are "data-deficient".
"[This means] that we do not know enough about these animals to know whether they are endangered, or even already extinct. Sometimes entire species are known only from one or two specimens," says Dr Lane.
But things are improving, she adds. "There is a growing interest in these animals and new things are being discovered every day."
zalhassani@thenational.ae
If you go
Where to stay: Courtyard by Marriott Titusville Kennedy Space Centre has unparalleled views of the Indian River. Alligators can be spotted from hotel room balconies, as can several rocket launch sites. The hotel also boasts cool space-themed decor.
When to go: Florida is best experienced during the winter months, from November to May, before the humidity kicks in.
How to get there: Emirates currently flies from Dubai to Orlando five times a week.
GOLF’S RAHMBO
- 5 wins in 22 months as pro
- Three wins in past 10 starts
- 45 pro starts worldwide: 5 wins, 17 top 5s
- Ranked 551th in world on debut, now No 4 (was No 2 earlier this year)
- 5th player in last 30 years to win 3 European Tour and 2 PGA Tour titles before age 24 (Woods, Garcia, McIlroy, Spieth)
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Almnssa
Started: August 2020
Founder: Areej Selmi
Based: Gaza
Sectors: Internet, e-commerce
Investments: Grants/private funding
Australia squads
ODI: Tim Paine (capt), Aaron Finch (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Alex Carey, Josh Hazlewood, Travis Head, Nathan Lyon, Glenn Maxwell, Shaun Marsh, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Andrew Tye.
T20: Aaron Finch (capt), Alex Carey (vice-capt), Ashton Agar, Travis Head, Nic Maddinson, Glenn Maxwell, Jhye Richardson, Kane Richardson, D’Arcy Short, Billy Stanlake, Marcus Stoinis, Mitchell Swepson, Andrew Tye, Jack Wildermuth.
Farasan Boat: 128km Away from Anchorage
Director: Mowaffaq Alobaid
Stars: Abdulaziz Almadhi, Mohammed Al Akkasi, Ali Al Suhaibani
Rating: 4/5
Business Insights
- Canada and Mexico are significant energy suppliers to the US, providing the majority of oil and natural gas imports
- The introduction of tariffs could hinder the US's clean energy initiatives by raising input costs for materials like nickel
- US domestic suppliers might benefit from higher prices, but overall oil consumption is expected to decrease due to elevated costs
What is double taxation?
- Americans living abroad file taxes with the Internal Revenue Service, which can cost hundreds of dollars to complete even though about 60 per cent do not owe taxes, according to the Taxpayer Advocate Service
- Those obligations apply to millions of Americans residing overseas – estimates range from 3.9 million to 5.5 million – including so-called "accidental Americans" who are unaware they hold dual citizenship
- The double taxation policy has been a contentious issue for decades, with many overseas Americans feeling that it punishes them for pursuing opportunities abroad
- Unlike most countries, the US follows a citizenship-based taxation system, meaning that Americans must file taxes annually, even if they do not earn any income in the US.
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City's slump
L - Juventus, 2-0
D - C Palace, 2-2
W - N Forest, 3-0
L - Liverpool, 2-0
D - Feyenoord, 3-3
L - Tottenham, 4-0
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How to protect yourself when air quality drops
Install an air filter in your home.
Close your windows and turn on the AC.
Shower or bath after being outside.
Wear a face mask.
Stay indoors when conditions are particularly poor.
If driving, turn your engine off when stationary.
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Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The Sand Castle
Director: Matty Brown
Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea
Rating: 2.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Champions League Last 16
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Getting there
The flights
Emirates and Etihad fly to Johannesburg or Cape Town daily. Flights cost from about Dh3,325, with a flying time of 8hours and 15 minutes. From there, fly South African Airlines or Air Namibia to Namibia’s Windhoek Hosea Kutako International Airport, for about Dh850. Flying time is 2 hours.
The stay
Wilderness Little Kulala offers stays from £460 (Dh2,135) per person, per night. It is one of seven Wilderness Safari lodges in Namibia; www.wilderness-safaris.com.
Skeleton Coast Safaris’ four-day adventure involves joining a very small group in a private plane, flying to some of the remotest areas in the world, with each night spent at a different camp. It costs from US$8,335.30 (Dh30,611); www.skeletoncoastsafaris.com
A timeline of the Historical Dictionary of the Arabic Language
- 2018: Formal work begins
- November 2021: First 17 volumes launched
- November 2022: Additional 19 volumes released
- October 2023: Another 31 volumes released
- November 2024: All 127 volumes completed
TO A LAND UNKNOWN
Director: Mahdi Fleifel
Starring: Mahmoud Bakri, Aram Sabbah, Mohammad Alsurafa
Rating: 4.5/5
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Voices: How A Great Singer Can Change Your Life
Nick Coleman
Jonathan Cape
The five pillars of Islam
The specs
Engine: 1.5-litre turbo
Power: 181hp
Torque: 230Nm
Transmission: 6-speed automatic
Starting price: Dh79,000
On sale: Now
Our legal columnist
Name: Yousef Al Bahar
Advocate at Al Bahar & Associate Advocates and Legal Consultants, established in 1994
Education: Mr Al Bahar was born in 1979 and graduated in 2008 from the Judicial Institute. He took after his father, who was one of the first Emirati lawyers
Pathaan
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COMPANY PROFILE
Name: HyperSpace
Started: 2020
Founders: Alexander Heller, Rama Allen and Desi Gonzalez
Based: Dubai, UAE
Sector: Entertainment
Number of staff: 210
Investment raised: $75 million from investors including Galaxy Interactive, Riyadh Season, Sega Ventures and Apis Venture Partners
