THIS is the terrifying moment a 6ft snake slithers through the water right up to a couple’s boat off the coast of Ibiza.
Stefanie Daub and her husband were relaxing on a boat when they noticed sudden movement in the waters of the popular .
In a shocking video shared online by Stefanie, a snake is seen slithering through the sea toward their boat while they visited Ses Balandres – a rocky cove on northwest coast.
As the boat edges forward, the reptile eerily trails close behind.
After over 30 seconds of following the couple, the snake finally appears to change course.
Stefanie wrote as a caption for the video: “A boat trip is a good idea, they said... if you like with snakes.”;
Tourist numbers have taken a hit at beaches in the Balearics due to a rise in snake sightings, reports the Majorcan Daily Bulletin.
Some of the Balearic Islands’ most popular coves – like Ses Balandres, where the couple were visiting – have seen their reputations damaged because of the reptiles, the outlet adds.
While experts say these snakes are not venomous, their growing presence causes concern for both locals and visitors.
Though Stefanie has lived in Ibiza since 2006, running yoga and healing retreats on the island, the snake sighting in the sea took her by surprise.
The Brit initially believed the reptile was a “big bird”; or “fish”;, she told the Mirror.
Describing the ordeal, she told the outlet: “I went out with my husband for a few hours on June 8, before I started work.
“We arrived in Ses Balandres and I saw a movement in the sea.
“I said to my husband ‘look there must be a big fish or a bird under the water’.
“He realised very quickly that it was a snake. We went closer and the snake swam behind the boat. It was really strange.
“I’m not afraid of snakes, but I don’t want to have them on the boat.
“We went away and for a long time we were watching around if she comes back. I was quite relaxed and had a little after a while.”;
Stefanie later learnt that a snake had tried to “enter a boat”; a few days later.
She said she was relieved that she had not been swimming in the water at the time of the snake sighting.
The Brit added: “I did not even know that they go into the ocean to swim. There are too many and getting more.”;
According to the Majorca Daily Bulletin, snake sightings are becoming more common in tourist hotspots across the Balearics – especially in Ibiza and Formentera.
As many as 3,800 snakes were captured across the Balearics in 2024 alone, based on figures from environmental officials cited by the outlet.
Ibiza reportedly accounted for over 3,000 of the snakes caught, while nearly 800 were found in Formentera.
Spanish authorities are tightening checks on plant shipments in a bid to stop foreign snake species spreading to island environments, the outlet adds.
