What looked like a floating clump of green moss in Gorai Creek turned out to be a dog-faced water snake covered in living algae. Independent researcher Rahulratan Chauhan spotted the sluggish reptile on February 11, 2025, during a routine cycling trip near Borivli. According to Chauhan, the snake was safely captured, photographed, and subsequently released.

Rare finding 

The observation, published in the scientific journal Zoo’s Print, marks the first recorded instance of algal fouling in Mumbai, and the first recorded instance in India involving this particular species.