Nine beaches in Sydney’s north closed due to mysterious grey balls

Nine popular Sydney beaches have been closed until further notice in the wake of hundreds of mysterious grey balls returning to Sydney shores.

Some of Sydney’s most popular beaches, including Manly and Dee Why, have been closed after potentially dangerous marble-sized grey balls washed up on the sand.

Northern Beaches Council has shut Manly, Dee Why, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl, North Steyne and North Narrabeen beaches until further notice.

Beachgoers alerted the council to the odd white/grey, ball-shaped debris on Tuesday.

The state Environment Protection Agency (EPA) has worked with council officers to collect samples for testing.

Most samples identified so far are the size of marbles, with a few larger in size.

A council spokesman said it was organising the safe removal of the balls.

Mystery grey balls on Dee Why Beach on Tuesday afternoon. Nine beaches are closed across the Northern Beaches after white/grey, ball-shaped debris was found washed up along the shore. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

The balls, like this one at Manly Beach, are the size of marbles. Picture: NewsLocal

“Beachgoers are advised to avoid Manly, Dee Why, Long Reef, Queenscliff, Freshwater, North and South Curl Curl, North Steyne and North Narrabeen beaches until further notice and keep away from the material while the clean-up and investigations continue,” according to a statement released by the council.

Beachgoers were still at Manly Beach on Tuesday afternoon despite authorities closing the beach and urging people to stay away. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Council clean-up crew were scouring the beaches for the balls on Tuesday afternoon.

There was evidence of the balls along the high-tide mark at Manly and North Steyne beaches on with this masthead finding several.

The number of balls at Dee Why beach appeared higher with clumps of up to five or six grouped together not far from the Dee Why Surf Life Saving Club.

Mysterious grey balls are washing up on beaches across the Northern Beaches. Nine beaches have been closed but people are still swimming. These balls were at Dee Why Beach. Picture: Supplied

Another clump of balls at Dee Why. Picture: Jim O’Rourke

A regular Dee Why beachgoer said he saw council and EPA officers on the beach just before 9am on Tuesday.

“I reckon they were deposited by the king tide we had on Monday,” the beachgoer said.

“A surfer told me he was picking them up with his hands off Dee Why Point on Sunday.”

Northern Beaches Council workers collecting mystery grey balls of pollution from Manly Beach on Tuesday. Picture: Northern Beaches Council.

Balls on Dee Why Beach on Tuesday afternoon. Picture: NewsWire / Nikki Short

Northern Beaches Council workers collected mystery grey balls of pollution from Manly Beach on Tuesday. Picture: Northern Beaches Council

The latest beach debris scare comes just three months after thousands of toxic black tar-like balls washed up along the shore on seven beaches in the city’s eastern suburbs.

Waverly Council shut down Bondi, Bronte, Tamarama, Maroubra and Clovelly while Randwick City Council closed down Coogee and Gordons Bay until the balls were removed.

Researchers found that those balls were made up of products such including motor oil, hair, food waste, animal matter and wastewater bacteria.

Their source was not traced.