Original story by Alexandra Back, Sydney Morning Herald
The source of a bright orange plume in Botany Bay is still a mystery after early tests by the NSW Environmental Protection Authority.
The orange shore at Botany Bay. Photo: Roger Pearce
People walking on Foreshore Beach in south Sydney noticed about a square kilometre of ocean coloured bright orange on Monday afternoon.
Foreshore Beach at Botany Bay. Photo: NSW EPA
“I saw this orange and thought it must be that rain we had,” Roger Pearce said.
Shells stained orange at Foreshore Beach. Photo: Roger Pearce
“But I’m looking at the shells on the beach and they’re bleached orange.”
Walking back along the shore, Mr Pearce said security guards told him that he had to get off the sand. But he returned on Tuesday afternoon and found the water still stained the unusual colour.
Sydney Ports has closed the beach to swimming and fishing as a precaution.
The Authority has tested the plume and the preliminary results show that while it is high in iron, it is not toxic.
It does not yet know where the plume comes from, but it might be from natural causes.
An “insignificant” amount of algae is associated with the orange plume, but is not the cause of the colour, the Authority said.
The Authority will continue to monitor the water.
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