Sea snakes may be hiding in the foam covering Australian beaches whipped by storms | News from Australia

People are warned to stay out of the sea foam that has appeared on the beaches of North New South Wales and Queensland in the wake of this week’s severe storms, with sea snakes and dangerous material hidden.

Storms have stormed both states, causing heavy rains, flooding and coastal erosion. The foam is formed by mixing seawater with algae, salts, fats and other contaminants.

This week a documentary has appeared about a dog that got lost in the foam of Snapper Rocks, on the Costa Daurada, with people walking on foam to the knees looking for the animal.

Children have also been depicted playing in the foam, while tourists strolled along the affected beaches.

But people are warned to move away until it diminishes.

Nathan Fife, Gold Coast Lifesaving service supervisor at Surf Lifesaving Australia, told Guardian Australia that the foam was not good for people’s health.

“For health, it’s probably not great to let your kids play in it,” he said. “Also sea creatures that can get in there, like sea snakes.”

According to the Marine Education Society of Australasia, there are 32 species of sea snakes found throughout Australia. Although they are poisonous, the risk of death is low.

Only one sea snake death has been recorded in Australian waters. But people who bite will need antidote and bites may not be evident for up to 30 minutes.

Fife said people should also worry about water surges under the foam that would not be visible and could cause them to fall or crawl into the sea.

The foam is likely to settle in the coming days, he said, but until then he urged people to be careful on beaches, rivers and streams.

“There’s a lot of rubbish coming out: there have been trees and things like that have run out. I think yesterday there was half a cow that was washed up on the beach, so make sure what’s in front of it: there there are trees and logs floating, so please be careful. “