Why should the public be explicitly warned against returning a stranded yellow-bellied sea snake to the ocean immediately?

The lack of hydrostatic support outside water can cause circulatory failure due to improper body support.

While the instinct might be to assist a stranded ocean-dwelling animal, returning a yellow-bellied sea snake directly to the sea by hand presents a significant and potentially fatal risk to the snake itself. Because the snake's body is fundamentally adapted for buoyancy and swimming, it lacks the necessary muscle control and specialized ventral scales to adequately support its own weight when held horizontally out of the water. Extended periods of being held or tilted without the hydrostatic support provided by the ocean can lead directly to circulatory failure, which is why local wildlife authorities must be contacted instead for professional assessment and care.