Surf Anglers, Beach Visitors, and Surfers Are Dealing With Tar Balls

Tar Balls Are Sticking To Everything Cleaning It Off Is A Chore

Surf anglers are dealing with tar balls on their line and gear. These are the tiny, under dime sized balls. Once these contact a surface, the tar oil sticks, especially plastic or skin. The tar sticks to fishing line and gear real quick. 3Rs had a lot of tar balls there earlier this morning in the wrack line. Each little wrack line made by the incoming waves has a small line of tiny tar balls.
Northside inlet beach, the pocket is full of tar balls and coated debris. People as far south as Ocean City are finding black spots on their feet. Some beaches are worse than others. Seems this is moving south and gets worse in an area then clears out. But the remains left behind are fouling anything it touches.

Fishing line is stained, and so is some of the gear parts, such as floats. Anglers can smell the crude petroleum. It really shouldn’t hurt your gear, but like dissolves like. Surfers are getting tar balls on their boards. The tar is coating surfers’ and waders’ feet. Shoes’ tread are caked with tar balls.

WD40 is the fastest solution to clean tar balls off skin or objects. Just spray it on a rag and scrub a little, comes right off. Dawn dish detergent works well. Baby oil is recommended for those who are sensitive to products like WD40. The tar oil is bad enough in that department. DNREC does not want people handling these tar balls.

Might be a good idea to tell people to stay off the beach barefoot and wear shoes.
Check your shoes before you walk back into your house or step into your vehicle. Tar balls will stain the carpets and some flooring products.

I wouldn’t worry about eating fish, but if you are crabbing make sure you don’t have any tar balls on the crabs. That will not taste very good.