Foamy substance in Spinola Bay is sea foam, not slime, says ERA
'The foam seems to have formed through the accumulation of litter and algae in the area'
An oily, foamy substance appeared in and around Spinola Bay on Sunday morning, following strong northeasterly winds on Saturday evening.
The Environment and Resources Authority, however, said that the build-up was “sea foam, not slime.”
Sea slime in Malta’s eastern and southern bays often comes from offshore fish farms.
Replying to questions, a spokesperson for the government authority that monitors and enforces environmental laws said:
“ERA did not receive any reports on this. However, upon investigation, it appears the accumulation is sea foam, not slime.”
“The foam seems to have formed through the accumulation of litter and algae in the area. Marine litter remains a pressing concern. We urge the public to properly dispose of their waste so as to avoid it ending up in the sea,” the spokesperson said.
On Sunday, the Facebook page Malta Dizastru Totali posted photos from Spinola, showing nighttime images of large amounts of white residue on top of the sea just underneath the LOVE sign.
A resident who lives in the area separately said that there was a lot of slime in Spinola Bay on Saturday night.
The St Julian’s resident said the bay often ends up polluted when sea currents face Spinola.
Times of Malta visited the site on Sunday, late morning. At that time, noticeable pockets of white foam were still visible.
The strong winds might have blown more than the pollution to the Spinola shores as a chair, half-submerged, was also in the bay.
Saturday saw force 5 winds blowing from the northeast.
Photo: Daniel Ellul