Several of Sydney’s beaches were closed after mysterious black balls appeared on the shores. Lifeguards and beachgoers spotted thousands on these black spheres, leading to beach closures and clean up operations.

Scientists from the University of New South Wales (UNSW) examined the strange balls and found that they were actually fatbergs, which are solid clumps of human waste, like fat, hair, and other substances that build up in sewers. These particular fatbergs contained harmful materials, including drugs and food waste. 

¨They smell absolutely disgusting, they smell worse than anything you’ve ever smelt,¨ said Jon Beves, a lead investigator from UNSW.

The New South Wales Environment Protection Authority (EPA) had earlier warned people not to swim or touch the black balls. The warning was issued while scientists worked to understand what these black balls were and where they came from. Some thought that they were caused by an oil spill. However, further tests revealed the balls were much worse. They were made of a mix of sewage and other waste. 

¨I wouldn’t want to be swimming with them,¨ said William Alexander Donald, a professor at UNSW. 

Fatbergs have caused problems in other places before. For example, a 330 ton fatberg blocked a city swerve in Birmingham, UK, in 2011. However, the exact origin of these black balls found in Sydney is still unknown.

The EPA suspects they might have come from a source releasing mixed waste. ¨Authorities have considered several possible clauses, such as a shipping spill or wastewater outflow,¨ the EPA said in a statement. 

Although testing is still ongoing, the complex structure of the balls makes it difficult to figure out their exact source.