British Coastal Town Turns Into A Foamy Winter Wonderland

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Given that it rarely snows in the British seaside town of Cleveleys, you can only imagine how surprised the residents must have been, when they woke up on Wednesday, December 30th to find their small town covered in white - However, the winter wonderland was not caused by snow, but wet soapy foam that had blown in from the ocean.

While it does appear to be quite magical, the residents of this town were not too thrilled with this foamy mess that seems to engulf the region once or twice every year. That's because the strong winds toss the foam around, making driving and even walking quite hazardous. The good news is that it only lasts a few days before disappearing into thin air.

Though some residents believe that the foam is caused by pollution, the Environmental Agency that has performed extensive tests on the white stuff, maintains that it is simply decaying Algal matter that has been churned into bubbles by powerful tides. The water currents carry these bubbles to the shore, where they are tossed around by the waves, causing them to swirl upwards and appear on the surface as a foamy mess. If the area is then subjected to powerful winds, the gobs of foam are blown inland covering roads and homes, similar to what happened here.

Marine experts liken it to making a milkshake - the more powerful the churn, the thicker the foam. The good news is, that while it may be a nuisance, it is not toxic. Also, Cleveleys is not the only place to encounter this soapy mess. Residents along the coast of New South Wales in Australia have also been subjected to it. However, they as you can see from the picture above, they seem to be having a lot of fun with it!

Resources: Metro.co.uk, Guardian.co.uk

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234 Comments
  • bobo2348
    bobo2348over 7 years
    poor animals at least the people did not get hurt
    • Heyover 7 years
      I mean i don't want to be the one breaking this to you, but animals are also killed by the fact you are using computers and electricity for your house
      • rock and rollover 8 years
        I wish I could play in that foam but I feel bad for the animals there
        • eduardo
          eduardoalmost 11 years
          cool
          • cadie
            cadieover 11 years
            poor animals. i feel sad for them. boo hoo hoo
            • gummy_gurl
              gummy_gurlover 11 years
              hehehehehehe i love snow!!
              • vampgirl
                vampgirlover 11 years
                ew i feel bad for the animals
                • Izzyover 11 years
                  Wow! I noticed that in the artical in the last paragraph that some people (kids) like when this big soapy mess happens because they can make there own fun out of it. According to the artical this happens once or twice a year. From that I wonder if there are any ways to prepare for this big soapy mess? Or maybe it doesn't hurt anything. I also noticed that people are inclined to their own opinion because peopole are trying to figure out why this happens. Some people think it pollution and other people think its just from the ocean.
                  • Claireover 11 years
                    ha! that looks like so much fun to play in! I wish i could play over there! :)
                    • kayjffdfdddover 11 years
                      that is so groose