Sydney

After some beach closures and tense hours over hundreds of black balls washing up on Australian sea shores, the mystery appears to have been solved.

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Earlier reported to be the result of a possible oil spill in the ocean or even speculated as dinosaur eggs, the black objects have now been identified as tar balls, reports said on Wednesday (Oct 16).

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A tar ball is a hardened blob of petroleum. It can form naturally or as a result of oil spills and after floating in the waters for long periods of time. They are considered a pollutant. 

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Local news channel 9 News reported that Randwick City Council determined after tests that the objects were tar balls.

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The council said preliminary test results from samples collected on Tuesday showed the balls were a hydrocarbon-based pollutant consistent with the makeup of tar balls, as was suspected, News.co.au said in an update.

Randwick Mayor Dylan Parker said council staff were working to remove the balls from the beaches.

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"Our community is rightfully very protective of our natural environment and this has been a very concerning incident," 9 News quoted Parker as saying.

Since Tuesday when the balls were first noticed by lifeguards in Sydney's iconic Coogee beach, authorities had closed access to it, as well as the nearby Gordons Bay beach. Both beaches remained closed as of Wednesday evening.

Cleaning crews are at work to clear the debris.

(With inputs from agencies)