SYDNEY — Hundreds of mysterious black tar-like balls have washed up on two popular Sydney-area beaches, prompting lifeguards to close them off to swimmers.
A local mayor said “mysterious black spherical debris” began appearing on Coogee Beach in the Randwick area from Tuesday afternoon, leaving baffled Australian authorities scrambling to figure out what it is and where it came from.
Hundreds of spheres, ranging in size from golf balls to baseballs, were seen scattered on the beach, which is usually crowded with Sydneysiders and tourists.
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Instead, several seagulls roamed among the spheres, pecking and examining them.
Ball has also been spotted in nearby Gordon’s Bay. Gordon’s Bay, a popular aquatic reserve for snorkeling and fishing, was also closed.
“At this stage it is unknown what the substance is,” Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said in a social media post. “However, they can be ‘tar balls’ that form when oil comes into contact with debris or water, which usually occurs as a result of an oil spill or seepage.”
The ball on Sydney’s beautiful beaches isn’t the only unidentified object to appear on beaches recently. Canadian authorities confirmed to CBS News on Tuesday that they are investigating chunks of a white “mysterious substance” that have washed up on the coast of the far northeastern province of Newfoundland and Labrador since September.
Environment Canada told CBS News’ Ahmad Mukhtar that samples of hundreds of white blobs scattered along the coast have been taken, but both the substance and its origin remain a mystery.