Thousands of black balls found washed up on a popular Sydney beach have been identified as tar balls. The unusual floaters were first spotted on Coogee Beach on Tuesday.

Council workers are cleaning up Coogee Beach. (ABC News: Timothy Ailwood)What are tar balls? Tar balls originate from oil spills which coagulate into a spherical shape over time.

Update after Coogee Beach closed due to black ‘tar balls’ The mystery black balls that washed up on an iconic Sydney beach have finally been identified, but it will remain closed now.

The mystery behind those beach-bound black balls that sent Sydneysiders into an apocalyptic tizzy earlier this week has been revealed. ICYMI, Coogee and Gordon’s Bay locals were left perplexed ...

The black solid masses have been confirmed as “tar balls” after they were first spotted on Coogee Beach on Tuesday.. Since then, these mysterious balls have been spotted further north at Bondi ...

Thousands of mysterious black balls strewn across two beaches have been identified as 'tar balls'. Randwick Council explained the the strange find, which appeared on Coogee and Gordons Bay beaches ...

Unkown debris washed up on Coogee Beach causing the beach closure in Sydney, Australia (EPA) ... Tar balls may contain polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are known to be carcinogenic.