2 weeks ago
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Mysterious ball-shaped debris prompts closure of nine Sydney beaches
Nine beaches in Sydney, Australia, including the well-known Manly beach, were closed to swimmers on Tuesday after small white and grey balls of debris washed up on the shores at the height of the summer holiday season.Northern Beaches Council said it was working on safely removing the matter. Most of the samples of the ball-shaped debris were the size of marbles, with some larger, it said in a statement.Sydney’s ocean beaches, famed for golden sand and clean water, draw tourists from around the globe.Beachgoers were advised to avoid multiple other beaches in the area and to keep away from the material while the clean-up and investigations continued.Authorities said they were working closely with the state’s environmental agency to collect debris samples for testing.Last October, several beaches including the iconic Bondi east of downtown Sydney were shut after thousands of black balls appeared on the shores.An inquiry later found that those balls were formed from fatty acids, chemicals similar to those in cosmetics and cleaning products, as well as hair, food waste and other materials associated with wastewater.
SYDNEY, Australia —
Nine beaches in Sydney, Australia, including the well-known Manly beach, were closed to swimmers on Tuesday after small white and grey balls of debris washed up on the shores at the height of the summer holiday season.
Northern Beaches Council said it was working on safely removing the matter. Most of the samples of the ball-shaped debris were the size of marbles, with some larger, it said in a statement.
Sydney’s ocean beaches, famed for golden sand and clean water, draw tourists from around the globe.
Beachgoers were advised to avoid multiple other beaches in the area and to keep away from the material while the clean-up and investigations continued.
Authorities said they were working closely with the state’s environmental agency to collect debris samples for testing.
Last October, several beaches including the iconic Bondi east of downtown Sydney were shut after thousands of black balls appeared on the shores.
An inquiry later found that those balls were formed from fatty acids, chemicals similar to those in cosmetics and cleaning products, as well as hair, food waste and other materials associated with wastewater.
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