A mysterious sea foam has appeared on South Australia’s shores, making surfers sick and killing marine life from fish to octopuses and more. The foamy phenomena has washed ashore at Waitpinga and Parsons Beach, near Adelaide, and has resulted in hundreds of surfers falling ill.
“It’s just covered in a really heavy, dense, yellow foam, with a fair bit of green, slimy, scummy stuff on the beach at the tidelines,” local surfer Anthony Rowland told The Guardian. After surfing amidst the foam, Rowland reported: “I was really raspy. It was sort of like when you inhale a potent cleaning product, if you’re cleaning a kitchen sink or something. It hit the back of my throat.”
As of now, it’s unclear whether or not the foam is related to ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, which slammed Australia’s east coast recently. However, that region experienced a similar situation.
According to the Environmental Protection Agency, a spokesperson reported:
“The EPA have received multiple reports that dead fish and seahorses could be found on shore and that there was red staining on the sand and foam on the beaches.
“The Epa are working with other agencies … to attend the scene and take water samples.
“It is believed the event could be due to a microalgal bloom that has been driven by hot temperatures and still water and an ongoing marine heatwave, with temperatures currently 2.5C warmer than usual, with little wind and small swell contributing to conditions.”
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As for the foam on the beaches seen during TC Alfred on the Gold Coast, per the precautionary video from ABC above:
“It probably contains lots of sewage, made up of poop, pharmaceuticals, detergent from people’s laundries, and more…it’s best to avoid playing in the foam.”
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