A mysterious orange goo has washed up on the shores of a remote, northwest Alaskan village, the Associated Press reports. Authorities say that tests conducted on the surface of the water are inconclusive.
The orange-colored substance began showing up in the water of Kivalina on the village’s shores and in some residents’ rain buckets, City Administrator Janet Mitchell told the AP. All that is known about the mysterious goo is that it isn't man-made and it isn’t petroleum.
Coast Guard Petty Officer David Mosely told local news agency KTUU that the village is requesting an algae expert from the University of Alaska Fairbanks to investigate the substance.
The goo covers a swath of sand on harbors and beaches near the village, pictures by resident Mida Swan show. Swan said she dipped her hand into the substance, but didn’t smell anything odd.
Still, residents are disturbed by the presence of the goo, fearing it might be toxic. Mitchell told the AP that residents have been dumping the water collected in their rain buckets because of the unfamiliar color.
The orange goo washed up just feet from houses across from a nearby lagoon, KTUU reported.
Kivalina is a small village with a population of 377, located about 625 miles outside of Fairbanks.
