Nine beaches in Sydney Australiawere closed after mysterious gray debris in the shape of small balls washed ashore.
The discovery of the marble-sized spheres came just months after a a similar case in October last year, where thousands washed black balls led to the closure of Bondi Beach, among other tourist hotspots.
In a Facebook postThe Northern Beaches Local Council has warned the public to avoid Manly, Dee Wye, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl, North Stain and North Narrabeen beaches.
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He also advised people to stay away from the “material” until further notice while the cleanup is underway.
New South Wales Environment Agency confirmed in the statement that he was checking the trash and advised the public not to touch it.
The agency highlighted the similarity of the globules to those found last year, which were composed mostly of fatty acids and petroleum hydrocarbons, but also included traces of human-made waste.
While the exact origin of the debris was not determined, the agency said at the time that it was looking into several possible causes, such as sewage leaks and cargo spills.