Beachgoers in Newfoundland, Canada have discovered weirdly interesting white blobs that washed up on shore.
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According to the BBC, Canadian officials are currently investigating the strange white blobs that beachgoers discovered on Newfoundland beaches. One resident, Stan Tobin, told the media outlet that the blobs are “doughy” and as though “someone had tried to bake bread and done a lousy job.” There was also an odor that he compared to vegetable oil.
Beachgoers notably began reporting on the mysterious blobs in early Sept. Although they have yet to identify the substance, Ottawa officials stated preliminary testing showed it is “plant-based.” It was also speculated that the substance could be fungus or mold, palm oil, paraffin wax, or ambergris.
A spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada told the BBC that additional tests are needed to determine what the substance is and its potential impact on the environment. The agency also pointed out that Canadian government officials have visited the site three times to survey the substance.
Tobin, who is a local environmentalist, initially thought the blogs looked like styrofoam. He claims he has come across “hundreds and hundreds” of what he calls globs – “big globs, little globs.”
He stated that most of the “globs” have measured about 6 inches in diameter.
“Somebody or somebodies know where this came from and how it got there,” Tobin stated. “And knows damn well it’s not supposed to be here.”
Another Beachgoer Said He Has Seen Hundreds of the White Blobs
While speaking to The Guardian, Newfoundland resident and beachgoer David McGrath claimed he has seen hundreds of the white blobs as well.
“They looked just like a pancake before you flip it over, when it has those dimpled little bubbles. I poked a couple with a stick and they were spongy and firm inside,” he explained. “I’ve lived here for 67 years, and I’ve never seen anything like this. Never.”
He continued by noting, “They sent the Coast Guard over and I asked them how bad it was. They told me they had 28 miles of coastline littered with this stuff and had no idea what it was. Is it toxic? It is safe for people to touch?”
Samantha Bayard, a spokesperson for Environment and Climate Change Canada, revealed to CBS News that the agency was first informed about the “mystery substance” on beaches on Sept. 7.
“To date, ECCC has conducted several aerial, underwater and manual surveys of the beaches and shorelines in the area to determine the extent of the substance, what it is and its potential source,” she shared. “At this time, neither the substance nor its source has been identified.”