Black, ball-shaped substances, presumed to be lumps of oil residue, have washed up in large quantities on several beaches in Sydney, Australia, prompting authorities to close the beaches and initiate cleanup operations.
According to Australian news agency AAP on Wednesday, hundreds of golf ball-sized black lumps began washing ashore on Coogee Beach in southeastern Sydney the previous afternoon.
This phenomenon was also observed later in the afternoon at Gordon’s Bay, a marine protected area, and at Wedding Cake Island, located 1 km from Coogee Beach. The Randwick City Council, which oversees Coogee Beach, warned the public not to touch the substances for safety reasons and subsequently closed the beaches.
Authorities initiated cleanup efforts and began an investigation with the Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) to determine the substances’ exact nature and origin.
Local media reported that the material appears to be what is commonly referred to as tarballs. Tar balls form when oil interacts with plastic and water and are typically observed on nearby beaches following oil spill incidents at sea.
However, the New South Wales (NSW) Port Authority stated that there have been no reports of oil spills from vessels near the beach.
The council indicated that cleanup operations would be needed for some time and added that the beach is expected to reopen in a few days.
