Mystery substance comes to shore of Alaskan village

[claws]

State and federal scientists are trying to identify a mysterious orange substance that washed up on the shore of a village in northwestern Alaska this week.

Residents on Wednesday noticed an orange sheen in the lagoon in front of Kivalina, Alaska, and clumps of the substance on the beach, city manager Janet Mitchell said.

The stuff on the shore had "an oily feel to it, like baby oil," resident Mida Swan said Friday. She said she detected no odor from the substance.

The substance also may have rained down on the village Wednesday evening, because it was found in buckets that some residents used to collect rainwater that night, Mitchell said.

The state Environmental Health Laboratory is preparing to send samples to scientists at various labs, including a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration laboratory, said Emanuel Hignutt, the EHL's analytical chemistry manager.

Hignutt said it's not immediately clear what the substance is.

Full story at news.blogs.cnn.com

[akiratubo]

Looks like old cooking grease.  A restaurant where I worked dumped its grease directly into the nearby lake and the entire lake and shore were covered with that orange crap.

[Mr. DS]

Ghouck I heard was spotted swimming near by that village.  Coincidence?  Perhaps not.

[Jack]

Looks like a bunch of shredded cheddar cheese to me.



They should check if any boaters were having a really big fondue party that evening.

[Raffine]

I heard on the news they now think it's some kind of unknown eggs!

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/08/identified-orange-goo-that-blanketed-alaska-beach/1

[Criswell]

Looks like mushed up carrots to me.

[Mofo Rising]

Pack it up and sell it as dessert! This could be the new "Stuff."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uE6Z1nBqLwo

[Jack]

I heard on the news they now think it's some kind of unknown eggs!

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/sciencefair/post/2011/08/identified-orange-goo-that-blanketed-alaska-beach/1

That would make a great intro to a horror movie     I think if I lived there, this might be a good time for an off-island vacation.

[Ed, Ego and Superego]

Bets on the dead coming to life soon?

[Raffine]

I'm betting they hatch into thousands of little Godzillas!