Modern Mysteries

More mysterious marble-sized balls force closure of beaches in Australia

By T.K. Randall
January 21, 2025

Image: AI-generated (Midjourney) Several months after a number of strange black balls caused beach closures along Australia's New South Wales coastline, something else has started to appear.

This time the balls, which have been washing up in their thousands, are grey or white - quite unlike the black tar-like balls (deemed to be from a sewage spill) that were discovered last year.

According to reports, at least 8 beaches in New South Wales have been closed and members of the public have been warned not to touch the balls in fear that they could be hazardous.

Northern Beaches mayor Sue Heins told Guardian Australia that they "could be anything".

"We don't know at the moment what it is and that makes it even more concerning," she added."There's something that's obviously leaking or dropping... floating out there and being tossed around."

Since then, new details have been revealed following the submission of samples to the New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA).

According to the findings, the balls contain saturated fatty acids, E. coli and faecal bacteria as well as volcanic rock pumice.

This has led to suggestions that these latest balls could also be from a sewage spill, though local authorities have found no evidence of any incidents or issues that could account for this.

"We are continuing to conduct regular inspections of our beaches and encourage the community to report any sightings," said Heins, while adding that she hoped that the analysis would make it possible to "identify the source so that they can stop this from happening at other beaches."

As things stand, the search for answers remains ongoing.

Source: BBC News

Tags: Australia