A rare visitor made an unexpected appearance on Ōhope Beach yesterday morning.

A live yellow-bellied sea snake was discovered by a beachgoer and later retrieved by the Department of Conservation.

DoC ranger and project lead biodiversity Pearson Tukua said the team identified the venomous snake and removed it from the beach, but it later died.

Marine senior science advisor Karen Middlemiss said sea snakes were known to occasionally drift into New Zealand waters during weather events.

Although highly venomous, Middlemiss said they only posed a risk if provoked.

She said New Zealand had no recorded cases of anyone being bitten by a sea snake.

DoC reminds the public to keep their distance from any sea snakes found on local beaches. Photo / DoC

Middlemiss said yellow-bellied sea snakes spent their entire lives at sea, so finding one on the beach usually meant it was unwell.

She said those that washed ashore were often suspected to have suffered from hypothermia due to colder sea temperatures.

Sea snakes are protected under the Wildlife Act 1953, making it illegal to kill, harass, or possess them or any part of them without a permit.

DoC asked anyone who encountered a sea snake to keep themselves and their pets well away and call 0800 DOC HOT immediately.

Zoe Blake is a multimedia journalist at the Bay of Plenty Times and Rotorua Daily Post.