Sydney beaches closed because of “mysterious” black balls – DW – 10/16/2024

Two popular beaches in Sydney, Australia, have been closed to the public until further notice after hundreds of “mysterious black balls” appeared, local authorities said.

On Tuesday, Coogee Beach was cleaned up after lifeguards “discovered mysterious ball-shaped black debris washed along the beach”, Randwick City Council said in a statement.

Gordons Bay Beach, just north of Coogee, was also closed on Wednesday after “more mysterious, sphere-shaped debris was discovered”, the council said.

Australia investigates beach mystery

Local authorities advised the public to avoid beaches as environmental officers carried out tests and materials were being removed.

Initial tests showed the material to be a hydrocarbon pollutant consistent with the composition of tar balls.

“At this stage it is unclear what these are, but they could be ‘tar balls’ that form when oil comes into contact with debris and water, usually as a result oil spills or seepage,” the council’s statement said.

Upon discovery of the objects, ranging in size from golf balls to cricket balls, the New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority (NSW EPA) was immediately alerted.

In a social media post, City of Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said the council was working closely with the NSW EPA to develop a clean-up methodology and disposal process safe from debris.

mk/ab (AFP, afp)