A mysterious foam on a South Australian beach is being blamed for more than 100 surfers becoming ill, and for the deaths of leafy seadragons, fish, and octopuses.
Health authorities have closed Waitpinga and Parsons Beach, about 80km south of Adelaide, and say the foam could be due to a microalgal bloom driven by hot temperatures, still water, and an ongoing marine heatwave.
Surfers in the local area have complained of blurred vision, itchy eyes, and coughing and breathing difficulties.
“It’s just covered in a really heavy, dense, yellow foam, with a fair bit of green, slimy, scummy stuff on the beach at the tidelines,” local surfer Anthony Rowland said.
Rowland posted pictures online of dead sea creatures washed up on the beach, including the seadragons, which are close relatives of seahorses. He said there was “visible evidence that something weird is in the water”.
The pictures show the foam bubbling over rocks and forming snaking coloured lines in the sand.
“Some of the foam has a bit of rainbow effect in the bubbles,” Rowland said.
After going out in the water on the weekend, he had a respiratory reaction.
“I was really raspy. It was sort of like when you inhale a potent cleaning product, if you’re cleaning a kitchen sink or something. It hit the back of my throat,” he said.
The reaction to his post was “absolutely overwhelming”, he said, adding that he and others worked out there were more than 100 people affected. And he is worried that it is spreading to other beaches on the Fleurieu Peninsula.
“In the last 24 hours there’s dead fish along Victor (Harbor), Middleton, Encounter Bay. It’s definitely hit the Victor coast, and there are dead octopuses in Middleton,” he said.
A state environment department spokesperson said in a statement that the beaches were closed “in the interest of safety” and that authorities were investigating.
“Waitpinga Beach and Parsons Beach within the Newland Head Conservation Park will be temporarily closed to the public in response to a fish mortality event in the area,” the spokesperson said.
“The beaches will be re-opened as soon as possible.”
The state Environment Protection Authority (Epa) said in a statement it was aware “that dead fish have been found at Waitpinga and Parsons beaches and surfers have reported suffering from health symptoms such as itchy eyes and blurred/misty vision and coughing and breathing difficulties.
“The Epa have received multiple reports that dead fish and seahorses could be found on shore and that there was red staining on the sand and foam on the beaches.
“The Epa are working with other agencies … to attend the scene and take water samples.
“It is believed the event could be due to a microalgal bloom that has been driven by hot temperatures and still water and an ongoing marine heatwave, with temperatures currently 2.5C warmer than usual, with little wind and small swell contributing to conditions.”
South Australia is experiencing drought conditions and has had recent bouts of extremely hot weather.
