Over the weekend, several South Florida beaches were shut down after officials found masses of tar washing up on the shore.

The black, sticky substance was observed on beaches in Palm Beach and Broward counties, creating challenges for visitors, who found it adhering to their skin.

“There were just masses right on the sand as you walked down,” Nathan Seivert, a snorkeler from Boynton Beach, told NBC affiliate WPTV. “We managed to remove some of it, but it mostly sticks to your feet.”

A red flag warning was raised at Fort Lauderdale beaches, advising swimmers of potentially hazardous conditions in the water.

“When we first got here, there were these strange, black masses on the beach, and I thought they might be some kind of sea creature. Then the lifeguard came and told everyone to get out of the water because of the oil,” a beach visitor in Fort Lauderdale explained to NBC affiliate WTVJ.

The U.S. Coast Guard has acknowledged the issue and is collaborating with the Department of Environmental Protection to trace the origin of the tar.

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(Image credit: Vice)