Growing up in Southern California, we occasionally spotted rattlesnakes while hiking and always gave them plenty of space. We even had one of our dogs get bitten by a rattlesnake in our backyard. She survived, but the treatment was extremely expensive. That was the first of two rattlesnakes we had removed from our yard over the years. But one place we never expected to see one was at the beach, and that’s exactly where Nicky Paris was when he spotted one slithering across the sand.
Listen in as he explains how it all went down. The most disturbing part is where the snake appeared to come from: straight out of the water!
Nicky joked in the caption, “Honestly, the most insane beach day I’ve ever had, lol!” We’re glad we didn’t know that rattlesnakes hung out at the beach when we lived there!
Of course, everybody wanted to know what beach Nicky was on. He was at Crystal Cove Beach in Orange County, California… the same beach that we used to go to!
Viewers Are Rethinking Their Next Beach Day
Commenters weren’t happy about this new information. I lived in Southern California for 45 years and never knew snakes could show up at the beach. @Merida the Archer didn’t either, sharing, “Lived in California 26 years, and I have never ever seen a snake at the beach. I’d lose my mind.”
@valerievain spoke for all of us when she said, “Oh, I googled it, and rattlesnakes can swim in the ocean, and now you’ve ruined everything for me.” @dani_dorko added, “Rattlesnakes on the beach… who tf is playing Jumanji now?”
Apparently, sharks aren’t the only thing beachgoers need to worry about!
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This story was originally published by PawNation on Aug 30, 2026, where it first appeared in the News section. Add PawNation as a Preferred Source by clicking here.