Woman Picks up a 'Pretty Shell' on Beach — Then She Saw The Dangerous Creature Inside
Some of the most dangerous creatures across the world are the ones that have stunning appearances. Their colors, shapes, and overall look often make them seem harmless, but remember, these factors can be deceiving. For instance, there are venomous jellyfish that glow in the water, and there are several colorful insects that carry deadly toxins. In similar news, a woman, Beckylee Rawls, was tide pooling in Okinawa, Japan, when she came across a beautiful seashell and picked it up to have a closer look. However, she wasn’t aware of the dangerous situation she was getting herself into.
In early June this year, Rawls spotted a beautiful, marble-patterned shell in the water, and as a passionate shell collector, she couldn’t resist picking it up with her bare hands. Not just this, the woman even filmed a short video, proudly showing off what she discovered, as reported by Newsweek. Speaking of her initial reaction, she said, "When I first saw the shell, I was just focused on how beautiful it was. I've picked up so many shells while at the beach before without hesitation.” She further admitted, “I didn't even realize it was alive at first."
As soon as she realized that it was something very much alive, she didn’t think much of it and gently returned it to the water, assuming it must be a regular snail. But Rawls was unaware of the danger she had just avoided. Later on, when she reached her home, curiosity led her to look about the shell on the internet—and that's when she found out that the "pretty shell" she held in her hand was actually a cone snail, one of the deadliest sea creatures in the world. "That’s when I learned I might’ve just made the biggest mistake of my life,” Rawls said, as reported by PEOPLE.
It has been reported that the real danger isn’t actually the shell but the snail that hides within it. The cone snail is a small yet deadly predator armed with venom strong enough to paralyze or, in worst cases, even kill a human. Some species of these snails even carry enough toxin to kill several people, and what’s even scarier is that there’s still no antivenom to counter their sting. By luck, Rawls escaped unharmed, but that might not always be the case. Rawls further revealed, "It's even nicknamed the 'Cigarette Snail' because, according to urban legend, if it stings you, you won’t live long enough to finish a final cigarette. That chilling reputation really put things into perspective."
Speaking of her reaction to the whole scenario, the woman said, "I was absolutely terrified and had so much paranoia for days after. The more I researched the venomous cone snail, the worse it got. My brain kept convincing me that I had been stung and just didn’t realize it. By the fourth day of panic, my husband was sick of reassuring me I was indeed going to live.” Realizing that there might be several others unaware of how dangerous the shell was, Rawls shared her video clip on TikTok to warn people. She goes by the username @beckyleeinoki on TikTok.
You can watch the video here.
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