'All over me': Man's close encounter with highly-venomous reptiles

Swimming through the clear and remote waters of Fiji's Great Sea Reef, a photographer spied something that would bring most to a grinding halt.

Juergen Freund, from Far North Queensland, was sharing the ocean with dozens of highly-venomous sea snakes.

Rather than fearing the banded sea kraits, he felt elation and started heading toward them.

They "arrived from every direction, swimming all over" him, which allowed him to capture a stunning portrait.

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The only escape for many kilometres from the falling tide for these aquatic banded sea kraits (Laticauda colubrina) is this lone mangrove tree in the middle of the sea in the Great Sea Reef.

Banded sea kraits are one of the most venomous reptiles in the world, but Freund said they are beautiful to witness up close.

"Sea kraits are very curious about just about anything," he told 9news.com.au.

"They are generally found swimming through the reef hunting small fish in holes and coral crevices where they constantly stick their heads into.

"I had worked with this species of sea krait on many occasions and knew that they are not aggressive - but you never know."

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In this file photo, a banded sea krait is seen swimming in the shallows in the Solomon Islands.

As precaution Freund had his wife watch out for any inquisitive snakes as he approached the tree, which was being used as a shelter as the tide receded.

"These are wild animals and do belong to the most venomous creatures on Earth," he said.

"In case of a bite, there would most likely be no antivenom available anywhere nearby as we were in a very remote area.

"I was wearing a full-body neoprene suit with a hood and my wife Stella would tell me about any snake swimming up from behind me."

"I was not really worried. But I treat them with the utmost respect."

Freund's risk paid off.

Earlier this month it was announced his photo was "Highly Commended" in this year's Wildlife Photographer of the Year Competition, across the Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles category.

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Juergen Freund and his wife Stella had the chance to attend the celebration at the Natural History Museum in London and "dressed up to the nines".

"It excites me to still be in the world's best 100 chosen images," he said, adding that in the future he'd love to photograph whales.

"Aside from being beautiful, there is communication and interaction involved.

"Other than that my fascination with nature goes way beyond a bucket list, tick off or must shoot species.

"I get as excited photographing or filming some interesting insect behaviour as I would with an elephant or jaguar, which I have never documented."



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