At first glance they look like fallen coconuts or curly hairy animals …

But these mysterious balls that are washed out on Mediterranean beaches, are anything but ordinary.

Some have almost a perfect spherical shape, while others are reminiscent of rugby balls.

They have been called “Neptune Balls”, not because of the planet, but in honor of the ancient god of the sea, capable of controlling thunderstorms and stormy winds, since they usually appear on the coasts after severe weather.

A ‘sponge’ against plastic pollution

According to Spanish researchers, these balls are compact bullets from the marine plant called Posidonia Oceanica, which exists exclusively in the Mediterranean.

As this plant rejects its leaves, they are dragged by the currents and form masses, which with the movement of water take a spherical shape. What is striking is that along the way, trash is trapped: from food packaging and bags to ropes, lids and other microplastics.

In this way, Posidonia acts as a … natural sea cleaner, collecting plastics and returning to land.

In 2021, Professor of Geosciences at the University of Barcelona, ​​Anna Sanchez-Vidal, published a study in the journal Scientific Reports, in which he referred to the phenomenon of plastic waste in “Poseidon’s balls”.

As it turned out, the plant can also trap microplastics – particles of less than 5 mm, invisible to the human eye.