Snorkel Snake

Snorkel Snake
The Snorkel Snake as it appears in Yoshi's Story
First appearance	Yoshi's Story (1997)
Variants Mr. Eel
Relatives Dragoneel

The Snorkel Snake, also called "Snorkle Fish", is a serpentine enemy that appears in Yoshi's Story. It resembles a large, white serpentine creature with green spikes and a large fin for a tail. Its head is a large ball with red eyes, flippers, and a spout for a mouth. Smaller variants of the snorkel snake, known as Mr. Eels, also appear in the game. While identified as a snake in English and an eel in Japanese, it more closely resembles a giant pipefish, particularly due to the mouth.

The Snorkel Snake can be seen swimming on the world map of the Ocean, and is found in a single area of the level Lots O'Jelly Fish, where it waits for the Yoshi to swim nearby. When it spots them, it will swim in circles around them, attempting to enclose them within its spiky body; since Yoshis cannot throw eggs underwater, the Snorkel Snake is effectively invincible. However, its body is not long enough for it to make a complete circle, allowing the Yoshis to escape if encircled.

Profiles and statistics

• Website bio: Swimming in circles that grow ever-tighter, The Snorkle Fish is a prickly Yoshi-smiter.
• Shogakukan guide: 「長いからだはトゲだらけ。おまけにあとを追ってくる。なんてこった！」 ("Their long body is covered in thorns. In addition, it will follow you. What the heck!")

Names in other languages

Language	Name	Meaning
Japanese	ウナボン Unabon	From「鰻」(unagi, eel) and「坊」(bon, Japanese affectionate suffix for "boy")

Trivia

• The Snorkel Snake bears a resemblance to the Dragoneel, which was introduced in New Super Mario Bros. U and also tries to encircle players with its body. The Snorkel Snake's Japanese name "Unabon" is used as a file name for the Dragoneel, suggesting this resemblance may have been intentional.