Woman's water slide encounter with snake sparks laughter and concern

Hilarious footage has emerged of the moment a holidaying woman's "joy transitioned to terror" as she realised she was merely centimetres away from a snake while riding down a water slide in Bali.

The video, taken on Friday, February 14 in the resort town of Nusa Dua, shows the woman gleefully enjoying the ride, before she realises a small snake was at the same time trying to swim up the slide.

Speaking to Yahoo News Australia, Bali-based "snake whisperer" Ron Lilley said the footage is not quite clear enough to definitively identify the little reptile, though he believes it's most likely a young bronzeback — which are non-venomous and largely harmless to people.

Nonetheless, that didn't stop the woman from absolutely freaking out in the video, with many responding to the funny clip admitting they would have melted with fear.

• “That woman is too calm for someone that saw a snake. I would've walked on that water like Jesus,” one person said.
• “She screamed, the snake screamed, we ALL screamed,” another joked.
• “New fear unlocked,” commented a third.

Although the woman's reaction likely gave the more than 2 million viewers on TikTok a good laugh, Ron emphasised the importance of remembering that snakes do not actively seek out humans and, more often than not, will go out of their way to avoid them.

He also questioned how the snake ended up on the slide in the first place, given that snakes generally have an aversion to treated water. “I try to educate people about snakes so that they can assess the risk, and thus reduce their fear,” he told Yahoo.

“Thousands of snakes are needlessly killed because of ignorance.”

In both Australia and tourist destinations like Bali, snakes are often needlessly killed due to unfounded fears and misconceptions. In these regions, whenever a snake is spotted near human activity, panic often ensues, sometimes leading to deadly reactions. Even non-venomous species are often killed out of fear, especially when people encounter them near homes, parks, or beaches.

While snake bites do occur, they are rare, especially when snakes are left undisturbed.

They play an important role in ecosystems, as natural predators, snakes help control populations of rodents, insects, and other small animals. This keeps the balance in nature but also prevents the spread of diseases that can result from unchecked animal populations. Most snakes, contrary to popular belief, avoid human contact at all costs.

They typically retreat when given the opportunity, only defending themselves when cornered or threatened. The vast majority of snake species are non-venomous and pose little to no threat to humans when left alone.