WATCH: Rattlesnake swims in Florida Keys

ISLAMORADA, Fla. (FOX 13) - The species that Florida boaters saw in the water wasn’t one they would want to catch.

Ted Wilson, a captain with the Islamorada Fishing Guide, came across a five-foot Eastern diamondback rattlesnake swimming in the waters near the Florida Keys. It is the largest venomous snake in North America, according to the National Geographic.

The reptile appeared to be island-hopping in the middle of Florida Bay, located between the southern end of the Florida mainland and the Keys.

Wilson shared video onto his Facebook page of the rattlesnake swimming at the surface of the serene blue waters. One person on the boat is heard saying, “I’ve never seen a rattlesnake in the Keys, much less a five-footer swimming in the middle of open water.”

“He came right towards the boat looking as if he would like to hitch a ride,” wrote Wilson on his Facebook post.

At that point, it appears they began to maneuver the boat away from the snake, with a boater responding, “Bye bye, snake.”