A large algae bloom in Wollongong Harbour turned much of the water a scummy green, with HAZMAT crews attending to check the area was safe.
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NSW Fire and Rescue were called to the harbour next to the Musumeci building on Saturday morning to assist NSW Maritime officers with the bloom.
The pungent scum had covered a large area at the edge of the harbour, collecting around some of the boats and washing towards Brighton Beach.
HAZMAT crews used high pressure hoses to attempt to break up some of the algae, with NSW Fire and Rescue Illawarra Duty Commander Andrew Erlik saying the blooms had been a repeated occurrence in the harbour recently.
"They'd be trying to break the algae up and trying to disperse it," he said.
The operation attracted plenty of onlookers, with a stench from the algae rising up to greet cafe-goers and those exercising along the waterfront.
Just before midday, there remained no warnings in place for swimmers in the harbour, with some families still taking a dip at the beach nearby.
On Friday evening, the NSW EPA said it was aware of dark brown to black material in the waters off Wollongong and Shellharbour beaches.
"The material is believed to be naturally occurring and not a pollution incident, we are investigating further," the environmental agency said.
"We recommend people avoid swimming in the material."
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