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| Second Sydney beach closed as mystery deepens after hundreds of black balls wash ashore in Coogee | |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Coogee and Gordons Bay beachgoers warned not to touch the material, which could be ‘tar balls’ formed from oil spills or seepage at sea | |
| A second Sydney beach has been closed as experts race to determine the origin of hundreds of mysterious black balls that have washed up on the sand. | A second Sydney beach has been closed as experts race to determine the origin of hundreds of mysterious black balls that have washed up on the sand. |
| A potential oil slick was spotted off the coast on Wednesday morning, a day after the “mysterious black, ball-shaped debris” was first found on Coogee beach. | A potential oil slick was spotted off the coast on Wednesday morning, a day after the “mysterious black, ball-shaped debris” was first found on Coogee beach. |
| Randwick council closed Coogee on Tuesday afternoon after lifeguards discovered the golf ball-sized debris. The council closed nearby Gordons Bay beach on Wednesday afternoon, stating “more mysterious, sphere-shaped debris” had been found washed up. | Randwick council closed Coogee on Tuesday afternoon after lifeguards discovered the golf ball-sized debris. The council closed nearby Gordons Bay beach on Wednesday afternoon, stating “more mysterious, sphere-shaped debris” had been found washed up. |
| Council environmental officers collected samples from Coogee on Tuesday and sent them for testing. People were advised not to touch or go near them. The beach was closed until further notice. | Council environmental officers collected samples from Coogee on Tuesday and sent them for testing. People were advised not to touch or go near them. The beach was closed until further notice. |
| The incident was also reported to the Environment Protection Authority and Beachwatch New South Wales. | The incident was also reported to the Environment Protection Authority and Beachwatch New South Wales. |
| The council said the unknown material could be “tar balls” formed when oil comes into contact with debris and water – usually as a result of oil spills or seepage. | The council said the unknown material could be “tar balls” formed when oil comes into contact with debris and water – usually as a result of oil spills or seepage. |
| Council jetskis spotted what may be an oil slick out at sea on Wednesday morning, the Randwick council mayor, Dylan Parker, said. However, it was not yet confirmed. | Council jetskis spotted what may be an oil slick out at sea on Wednesday morning, the Randwick council mayor, Dylan Parker, said. However, it was not yet confirmed. |
| Senior CSIRO researcher Sharon Hook wrote in the Conversation on Wednesday: “I am not certain the pieces of debris found at Coogee are tar balls.” | |
| “From the publicly available images, the objects appear to be relatively uniform, perfectly round shapes. That would be very unusual for tar balls – but not impossible,” Hook said. | |
| A dead seagull coated in black floated past Coogee local Jamie O’Donnell when he was surfing off Gordons Bay on Wednesday morning. “That was the only sign of the oil slick we saw,” he said. | A dead seagull coated in black floated past Coogee local Jamie O’Donnell when he was surfing off Gordons Bay on Wednesday morning. “That was the only sign of the oil slick we saw,” he said. |
| The NSW Port Authority said no oil spills had been self-reported by vessels. | The NSW Port Authority said no oil spills had been self-reported by vessels. |
| “It is the responsibility of all ships to report any spills to the relevant authorities including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Transport for NSW and Port Authority,” it said in a statement. | “It is the responsibility of all ships to report any spills to the relevant authorities including the Australian Maritime Safety Authority, Transport for NSW and Port Authority,” it said in a statement. |
| The state environment minister, Penny Sharpe, said the EPA was working with other government agencies and forensic scientists to identify exactly what the balls were, the source of the contamination and what risks it presented. | The state environment minister, Penny Sharpe, said the EPA was working with other government agencies and forensic scientists to identify exactly what the balls were, the source of the contamination and what risks it presented. |
| “The advice is that people shouldn’t be swimming and Coogee is closed,” she said on Wednesday. | “The advice is that people shouldn’t be swimming and Coogee is closed,” she said on Wednesday. |
| “Other beaches are fine, but we hope to get to the bottom of what is a pretty unusual situation as quickly as possible.” | “Other beaches are fine, but we hope to get to the bottom of what is a pretty unusual situation as quickly as possible.” |
| Parker said debris balls were still washing up on the beach on Wednesday morning. More were also spotted on Wedding Cake Island 1km off Coogee beach. | Parker said debris balls were still washing up on the beach on Wednesday morning. More were also spotted on Wedding Cake Island 1km off Coogee beach. |
| Coogee beach was closed with yellow barricades, orange flags and council signage reading “work in progress” on Wednesday morning. | Coogee beach was closed with yellow barricades, orange flags and council signage reading “work in progress” on Wednesday morning. |
| About 20 staff in hi-vis were working along the length of the beach. | About 20 staff in hi-vis were working along the length of the beach. |
| The debris balls were being picked up one at a time by staff. The balls were placed in mounds above the high-tide mark and covered with sand to avoid them being washed away. | The debris balls were being picked up one at a time by staff. The balls were placed in mounds above the high-tide mark and covered with sand to avoid them being washed away. |
| Crews on jetskis were also checking for balls in the water and trying to determine where they had come from. | Crews on jetskis were also checking for balls in the water and trying to determine where they had come from. |
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| A local barista said the closed beach was different than a normal morning when “people do laps around the pool or are just out walking”. “Usually you see plenty of people,” he said. | |
| Jennifer, who works at Coogee Express convenience store, said she anticipated business would be quieter so long as the beach was closed. “I think next week [it will] get better,” she said on Wednesday. | Jennifer, who works at Coogee Express convenience store, said she anticipated business would be quieter so long as the beach was closed. “I think next week [it will] get better,” she said on Wednesday. |
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| Louise Morris, the oil and gas campaign manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said on Wednesday: “If it is oil, we’ve got a clean-up problem on our hands.” | Louise Morris, the oil and gas campaign manager at the Australian Marine Conservation Society, said on Wednesday: “If it is oil, we’ve got a clean-up problem on our hands.” |
| Morris said she suspected “something has happened offshore” and marine life would be harmed. | Morris said she suspected “something has happened offshore” and marine life would be harmed. |
| “Tar balls are normally the result of some oil spill somewhere that has been combined with debris, plastic, whatever it may be,” Morris said. | “Tar balls are normally the result of some oil spill somewhere that has been combined with debris, plastic, whatever it may be,” Morris said. |
| “Small animals that live on the ocean floor, who are taking in sediment, are going to start ingesting it. We are looking at birds and other animals that get coated in oil [on the water’s surface]. It affects their ability to fly, to feed and to swim.” | “Small animals that live on the ocean floor, who are taking in sediment, are going to start ingesting it. We are looking at birds and other animals that get coated in oil [on the water’s surface]. It affects their ability to fly, to feed and to swim.” |
| Randwick council posted on social media on Tuesday evening: “Coogee beach is closed until further notice after council lifeguards this afternoon discovered mysterious black, ball-shaped debris washed along the length of the beach. | Randwick council posted on social media on Tuesday evening: “Coogee beach is closed until further notice after council lifeguards this afternoon discovered mysterious black, ball-shaped debris washed along the length of the beach. |
| “Council is investigating the origin and composition of the material, which has the appearance of dark spheres.” | “Council is investigating the origin and composition of the material, which has the appearance of dark spheres.” |
| The council was arranging for the material to be safely removed from the beach and began inspections of other nearby beaches. | The council was arranging for the material to be safely removed from the beach and began inspections of other nearby beaches. |
| Beachgoers were advised to avoid Coogee until further notice and not touch the material while the clean-up and investigations continued. | Beachgoers were advised to avoid Coogee until further notice and not touch the material while the clean-up and investigations continued. |
| The beach would be cleaned and opened again “hopefully in a matter of days”, Parker said on Wednesday. | The beach would be cleaned and opened again “hopefully in a matter of days”, Parker said on Wednesday. |