Watch Two 70-Year-Old Women Hunt for Sea Snakes

The black-banded sea krait (known as erabu umi hebi or irabu in Japan) is a sea snake that lives—among other places—off the coast of Okinawa, Japan. It’s highly poisonous—but according to BBC Earth, that doesn’t stop a pair of fearless 70-year-old women named Yoko and Setsuko from hunting for the creatures with their bare hands.

Yoko and Setsuko live on Kudaka Island, a tiny island that sits south of Okinawa. They’ve spent the past 40 years catching and killing the deadly marine animals—a skill they say has been passed down for centuries. On warm summer nights, Yoko and Setsuko climb into coastal caves, where the snakes seek fresh water and shelter. Without wearing any protective clothing, the two women grab black-banded sea kraits from the water, and toss them into a cloth bag.

Miraculously, Yoko and Setsuko aren't bitten. As for the irabu, they are later eaten as food, and are smoked or served in soups. Learn more about the venomous snake—and its two most fearsome predators—in the video below.

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