Foot Tar-Tar

After 20 years of living at the beach, I stepped in my first tar bubble. Slightly panicked, I tried removing it with rubbing alcohol but to no avail. I then read that ice would freeze it and it would peel off but all that froze were my toes. What exactly was glued to my foot?

City of Laguna Beach Marine Protection Officer, Jeremy Frimond, explained that there’s natural oil reservoirs out there and every once in a while they hiccup and oil droplets rise in the water column to the surface. Pressure and temps mold the oil into black nodules which eventually wash ashore. Natural oil seepage is heavily concentrated off the coast of Santa Barbara and with springtime winds and ripping currents it’s not uncommon to see tar bubbles in Laguna. If you happen to step in one don’t panic. Any oil-based product, including sunscreen, will remove this gnarly substance. Thankfully, there haven’t been any reported oil spills from neighboring derricks so let’s hope it stays that way!