Rather than capturing a coordinated attack from snakes hunting as a pack, the clip from Planet Earth II actually shows a number of snakes acting individually, on instinct.
But I suspect very few people gave a second thought to the plight of the snakes left hungry on the beach.
This jaw-dropping scene aired as part of the new series of the BBC’s flagship natural history programme, Planet Earth II, and seems to have captured the imagination of millions.
This of course does little to alleviate public ophidiophobia, an irrational fear of snakes.