A marine expert has revealed the likely origin of hundreds of mysterious black balls that have appeared on Sydney’s Coogee Beach and warned they could be carcinogenic.
The popular beach in Sydney’s eastern suburbs was closed immediately after lifeguards came across the worrying discovery on Tuesday.
“It looks like balls of tar or oil,” marine biologist Lawrence Chlebeck told Daily Mail Australia on Wednesday.
‘This is what happens when there is an oil spill or an oil leak. It could be of human origin or also of natural origin,” he stated.
Chlebeck said these balls form similarly to how pearls form in oysters.
“These things are in the water for a long time, they coagulate around a little piece of debris, whether it’s a piece of plastic or a stick or something, and they coalesce around one of these things,” he said.
“And then through storms or currents they can reach the coast, so they could have been traveling for quite some time and could come from very far away.”
The marine biologist said it was rare for such balls to appear on Australian coasts and that this is more common in the United States.
A marine expert has revealed the likely origin of hundreds of mysterious black balls that have appeared on Sydney’s popular Coogee Beach (pictured).
Randwick City Council workers are pictured cleaning Coogee Beach in eastern Sydney.
“In different parts of the world where there is a lot of offshore oil and gas exploration, for example in the Gulf of Mexico, these things are found on the beaches of Texas and Louisiana quite frequently,” he said.
“If certain oil and gas exploration projects are carried out off the coast of Sydney, as has been discussed in the not-too-distant past, we could see more of this type of thing happening.”
Chlebeck warned that black balls “may be carcinogenic.”
‘Coogee Beach was closed because of that concern. “It can dull the birds’ feathers, so they don’t dry out and drown,” he said.
While most wild animals know to stay away from the balls, sometimes humans’ curiosity gets the better of them and they can’t resist touching them.
The marine expert recommended bathers who come into contact with the balls clean the area with dish soap.
“Using anti-oil substances in the dishwasher is probably the best way to remove it,” Mr Chlebeck said.
“But people should definitely avoid that beach for now and avoid swimming in areas where there might be tar balls floating around.”
Randwick Council mayor Dylan Parker said the balls were being analyzed and the results will be obtained within a day or the next two days.
“There appears to be an oil spill or slick, but it is still being investigated.” “Initial reports seem to suggest some type of contamination or oil contamination,” he said.
Coogee Beach in Sydney’s east (pictured) will remain closed until further notice
Randwick Council suspects the material (pictured on Tuesday) may be “tar balls”.
The beach was closed Tuesday and will remain closed until further notice to preserve the safety of the community, Parker said.
“They look like tar balls,” he said. ‘If it is potentially oil, it is not safe to touch or consume. It may be potentially carcinogenic.’
Randwick City Council is in contact with the NSW Environmental Protection Agency, Beach Watch NSW and other relevant bodies about when it will be safe to reopen the beach.
“This has never happened before,” the mayor said.
“At this time it is unknown what the material is, however it may be ‘tar balls’ which form when oil comes into contact with debris and water, typically as a result of oil spills or leaks,” the council said.
A further update from council is expected later on Wednesday.
Coogee is one of Sydney’s most popular beaches and a tourist hotspot.