9 Sydney beaches closed after mysterious ball-shaped debris washes up ashore

Nine beaches in Sydney, Australia, have been closed after mysterious gray debris shaped like small balls washed up ashore.

The discovery of the marble-sized balls comes just months after a similar incident in October of last year, where thousands of washed-up black balls led to the closure of Bondi Beach, among other tourist hotspots.

In a Facebook post, the local council for the Northern Beaches region warned the public to avoid Manly, Dee Why, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl, North Steyne and North Narrabeen beaches.

It also advised people to stay away from the “material” until further notice while cleanup operations are underway.

The New South Wales Environmental Protection Authority confirmed in a statement that it is testing the debris and has advised the public to not touch it.

The agency highlighted the similarities of these balls with the ones discovered last year, which consisted mostly of fatty acids and petroleum hydrocarbons but also included traces of human-generated waste.

Although the exact origin of the debris has not been determined, the agency said at the time it was looking into several possible causes, such as wastewater outflow and shipping spillage.