Soupy pink stains spotted in water at Manly Cove and Shelly Beach
BIZARRE pink stains have been spotted in the water in Manly Cove and close to Shelly Beach — and authorities have advised people to avoid contact.
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MYSTERIOUS pink stains have been spotted in the water in Manly Cove and close to Shelly Beach today.
Residents noticed the cloudy material washing up on rocks on the southern side of the Cove, just east of the Manly Yacht Club, about 8am.
Another stain was seen in the Cabbage Tree Bay Aquatic Reserve.
A resident told the Manly Daily while the colour was a vivid pinkish red, the stain did not have an odour.
“The stain was sloshing around close to the oysters growing on the rocks near the yacht club,” he said.
“In stark contrast to the clear water, the pink soupy film made it disturbingly uninviting to take a swim.”
By lunchtime, authorities were able to explain what the red mess was.
A spokesman for State Government agency, WaterNSW, confirmed the red stain was algae.
He said WaterNSW and its Regional Algal Co-ordination Committee, were also aware of a number of algal blooms occurring in coastal waters.
The species has been identified as non-toxic Noctiluca scintillans, commonly known as ‘sea sparkle’, made up of millions of single-cell organisms.
“Small patchy blooms have been reported in Sydney and the northern beaches areas, including
Manly Cove, Shelly Beach and Malabar Beach, as well as other coastal areas of the state,” the spokesman said.
“The blooms are often visible as a red discolouration in the water and can produce bioluminescence during the night when disturbed.”
When millions of sea sparkle collide in moving water, they produce a chemical reaction which results in a greenish or bluish light that was meant to scare off predators.
“The species is not known to produce toxins however contact with the blooms should be avoided as a precaution,” the spokesman said.