What is sea wax, and why is it washing up on our shores?
NEW SMYRNA BEACH, Fla. - Donna Bradley spends every single morning at the beach.
"That beach makes me so happy," said Bradley. "I would do anything to return the favor that she gives to me."
Since she’s out there so often, she was pretty surprised when she saw a bunch of slippery but firm white stuff at New Smyrna Beach.
"I have never seen it before, ever," said Bradley. "And there's a ton of it out there."
It turns out this type of thing happens occasionally in Europe but is pretty rare here in the United States.
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"I was stunned," said Bradley. "And frightened a little bit, too, because I didn't know where it came from."
The University of Florida says the stuff is paraffin wax, also called petroleum wax, because it occurs naturally in crude oil.
UF says it washed out from tanks of cargo ships that were hauling the stuff around.
"It’s getting a little brittle, it seems, and which means that it's harder to pick up in one piece. And so it'll be easier to go out to the ocean, which is frightening," said Bradley.
Since it can break apart into smaller pieces and get eaten by sea creatures, researchers say you should clean it up if you see it.