Sydney, the Mystery of the 'Black Ball' on the Beach... Another Unidentified Sphere Puzzle

Mysterious bead-shaped substances washed ashore on nine beaches in the northern coastal area of Sydney, Australia, leading to their closure. These beads were mostly white and gray, about the size of a fingernail.

On the 14th (local time), Yonhap News, citing Australian ABC News and others, reported that these bead-shaped debris were found along the northern coastline of Sydney in the morning.

Manly Beach, Sydney, Australia. Photo by EPA Yonhap News

The Northern Beaches Council authorities in Australia stated, "After white and gray spherical debris were found washing ashore along the coast, nine northern beaches were closed." The authorities explained, "We have been alerted through the Environmental Protection Agency and are cooperating to collect samples for testing."

Most of the debris found so far were bead-sized, with some larger pieces as well. The authorities are taking measures to safely remove them and are inspecting other beaches.

Last October, hundreds of 'black ball'-shaped substances about the size of golf balls washed ashore on Sydney beaches, leading to closures. At that time, seven beaches in Sydney were closed due to tar balls being found. The Randwick City Council closed Coogee Beach and the aquatic protected area of Gordons Bay Beach from October 15 last year after tar balls were discovered.

Last October, the Sydney beach was swarmed by black balls. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Initially, these substances were thought to be tar balls, which are lumps of oil residue. Tar balls form when oil comes into contact with plastic and water, and are mainly observed on nearby beaches after oil spills occur at sea.

However, the New South Wales (NSW) Ports Authority stated that no oil spill incidents caused by ships have been reported near the affected beaches. The city council urged, "Beaches will remain closed until further notice," and warned, "Do not touch the substances while cleanup operations are underway."

Subsequent investigations revealed that these black balls consist of hundreds of different components, including cooking oil, soap residue, and pesticides. Accordingly, the authorities concluded that these are not simple tar balls but substances of unknown origin and identity.