Tar balls close several Sydney beaches the world

The journey began at the famous Coogee Beach in South Sydney, Australia on Tuesday. Then hundreds of black balls suddenly appeared along the beach, causing it to be closed to visitors and local authorities opened an investigation, reports said. ABC.

Subsequently, black balls appeared at neighboring Clovelly Beach, Gordons Bay and the northern part of Maroubra Beach. Then: Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama, Little Bay, Malabar, Frenchman's and Kongong beaches.

Closed beaches in Sydney

Many Sydney beaches are now closed, and according to the ABC, more areas may be affected.

“We don't think it's safe enough to be at the beach or swim at the moment until we clean up adequately,” NSW state coastal officer Darren Wood told the ABC.

According to the state Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), these are tar balls. Some were the size of golf balls, others were smaller and lighter in color.

Tar balls are releases of oil that over time mix with debris and harden.

– It's a fossil fuel pollutant that attracts everything that comes into contact with what's floating in the ocean, because it's so sticky, says Louise Morris of the Australian Marine Conservation Society. The Guardian.

Calling for tar balls

Oil spills are shaped into balls by wind and sea. Sometimes they sink and sometimes – if they contain more air – they float.

These same balls, according to the EPA, have been found to consist mainly of petroleum or hydrocarbons and are not thought to be particularly dangerous.

“But we want to tell people that the best thing you can do is avoid contact with these materials,” Steve Beeman, an administrator at the Environmental Protection Agency, tells ABC.