As authorities looked into marble-sized balls of white and gray debris that had washed up on shore in the latest of several mystery incidents in recent months, Sydney’s well-known Manly Beach and other beaches surrounding the Australian city were closed on Tuesday.
Although some were larger, the majority of the samples found were marble-sized, according to the Northern Beaches Council. It claimed to be arranging for the debris, whose composition and source are unknown, to be safely removed.
Dee Why, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl, North Steyne, and North Narrabeen beaches were also closed till further notice by authorities, in addition to Manly. They’re inspecting other beaches.
During the height of the Australian summer, the closures take place.
According to the council, it was working closely with the Environmental Protection Agency of New South Wales, which encompasses Sydney, to gather samples of the material for testing.
The balls of trash, which resembled those that washed up on beaches in the city’s east in October, including the well-known Bondi Beach, were not to be touched, the agency warned the public.
Initially believed to be tar balls, the material was later discovered to be a mixture of food waste, hair, and decomposing cooking oils.