Gold Coast: Teens surf waves of cornflake seaweed after mountain washes up on Burleigh Beach

Beachgoers have been having fun but officials have been left scratching their heads over the sheer volume of seaweed on the Coast this year. Here’s where the latest bunch has washed up.

Cody Harrington, 15, body surfs in the cornflakes. Photo: Tim Marsden.

CODY Harrington and his mate Harvey Floyd got a good dose of cornflakes at breakfast time yesterday, but thankfully it didn’t fill them up.

The teenagers were swimming in Colpomenia – also known as cornflake seaweed – that has lingered on the Gold Coast for more than a week.

“We thought it looked a bit corn-flakey but we went out for a swim anyway,” said Cody, 15, of the conditions at Burleigh Beach.

Harvey Floyd, 15, from Burleigh and Cody Harrington, 15, from Cararra body surf in the cornflakes at Burleigh Heads main beach yesterday. Photo: Tim Marsden.

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS: $5 PER MONTH FOR THE FIRST 3 MONTHS

“The waves weren’t the best – just full of seaweed.

“It felt solid. We couldn’t really move. It felt very gross. “I’ve seen a bit of seaweed before, but nothing like this.”

Chief Lifeguard Warren Young said it was a “mystery” why there had been so much seaweed in the surf and warned beachgoers: “If the flags are up, it’s OK. But just be wary if the visibility is very poor, there could be marine creatures like stingrays on the sand. Otherwise it’s good. We’re having beautiful weather and have lots of people around.”

STRONG WINDS BEHIND ‘CRAZY’ CORNFLAKE SEAWEED BUILD-UP ON PALM BEACH

“The waves weren’t the best, just full of seaweed.” Photo: Tim Marsden.

Griffith University’s centre for coastal management research manager Darrell Strauss last week told the Bulletin that the process was known as “upwelling”.

“It happens when we get strong north and west winds for a long period of time like we’ve had over the last few days,” he said.

He said the weed was brought in by deep water blown in to shore.

Wind is forecasted to blow southerly today and tomorrow before returning north-easterly on Sunday.