Woman Spots Venomous Sea Creature Inside Shell, Warns Beachgoers

A woman, who was shocked to come across a venomous creature lurking in a shell she found on a beach in Australia, warned people to be careful.

On Saturday, the woman shared the story on Facebook, warning beachgoers.

“Please be careful at Kurnell,” she wrote in the post, according to Yahoo News Australia. An image shared by the media outlet showed the inside of a shell filled with sand, dirt and water. Inside the shell, a highly-venomous small blue-lined octopus can also be seen.

The media outlet did not reveal the name of the person who shared the post, but did mention some comments written by Facebook users.

“Cute but deadly,” one woman wrote. Others said they had “never seen them that small before”.

“Great to show people as they might not think they are dangerous,” another woman wrote.

According to the Australian Museum, the small blue-lined octopus uses “an extremely powerful venom” to kill its prey. The species is usually found from Southern Queensland to southern New South Wales, and feeds on small fish and crabs. Parents should be careful as the creature's bright color often attracts children, who are tempted to pick it up.

The small blue-lined octopus has caused several fatalities in Australia. It uses a venom called tetrodotoxin, which can cause paralysis and death.

There is currently no antivenom for a blue-ringed octopus. According to the Australian Museum, if bitten by one, people should immediately call for help, monitor breathing and airways and also apply mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Last year, a blue-lined octopus was spotted at a popular swimming spot near Watsons Bay in Sydney, raising concerns among beachgoers. A footage of the creature was shared by photographer Duncan Heuer, who also goes by Aussie Bubbles.

“Blue-lined octopus found in Sydney Harbour during a night dive,” aussie_bubbles wrote on Instagram alongside a clip of the creature.

Heuer told 7NEWS at the time he stumbled upon the creature by accident.

“They are common but they are very skittish and shy, so they tend to hide away,” he explained. “You tend to notice them when you see the blue flashing at you.”