Beaches Close After Toxic Materials Wash Ashore
Beachgoers in the Sydney area will have to stay out of the water for a while after authorities confirmed the presence of toxic tar balls washing ashore.
According to NBC News, balls of sticky black goop were first seen on Coogee Beach on Oct. 15, prompting beach closures across the area. As of Oct. 17, Sydney's famous Bondi Beach, along with Bronte, Tamarama, Gordons Bay, Clovelly, and part of Maroubra Beach, are closed until further notice as crews clean up and remove the tar balls.
The city council of Sydney suburb Randwick said that preliminary test results pointed to the black globs being tar balls, which are formed when oil mixes with debris and water. Its exact origins, however, remain unknown.
"We don’t yet know what has happened to produce the debris washing up on our beaches, but we will continue to work with relevant authorities to ensure the safety of the public and clean up our beaches," Mayor Dylan Parker said Oct. 17, per Sky News.
It's not just limited to Sydney, either. The Environment Protection Authority of New South Wales said in a statement that similar debris has been found at Congong, Frenchmans, Little Bay, and Malabar beaches.
"At this stage, the origin and contents of the balls remains a mystery. But the EPA is conducting extensive testing on a number of samples," the agency said, per NBC News.
Between tar balls and sharks, Australian waters might not be the most welcoming to humans.