Beach tar consists of lumps or fragments of oil with a solid or semi-solid consistency that can be found on shorelines across Southern California. The combination of debris and hydrocarbons present in the water column leads to the formation of beach tar. You may come across tar on Santa Barbara and Los Angeles beaches, though the situation is most pronounced in Santa Barbara County. Some people say beach tar comes from the ground; others claim it is due to oil spills in the ocean. So, where does beach tar actually come from?
Where does beach tar come from?
Specific types of rocks, such as limestone, shale, and sandstone, contain tar. These rocks are present on the ocean's bottom and have small pores. The pores allow petroleum or related materials to seep through when the ocean floor sediments shift.
Water is denser than petroleum, meaning the tar rises to the ocean's surface. Heavy winds and tides carry the tar to shore. Researchers and geologists confirm that petroleum-based materials, including tar in the ocean's bottom, naturally leak into the environment.
This has been happening for thousands of years. People often assume the source is onshore bulk oil drilling and storage, or offshore petroleum production, but the vast majority of it is natural.
Experts say beach tar also originates from marine transportation discharges, including vessels pumping bilges and cleaning tanks. Inappropriate automotive oil disposal and runoff from storm sewers are additional sources.
According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), beach tar originates from three primary sources: shore-side facilities (storm sewers that deposit automotive oils), vessels pumping bilges and cleaning tanks, and natural seepage from ocean floors.
The oil in the water undergoes a process called weathering. Lighter fractions evaporate, leaving a heavy asphalt-like material that accumulates on the beach.
Research shows that 80,000 to 100,000 barrels of oil were released into the ocean during the 1969 Santa Barbara oil spill, equivalent to roughly 4.2 million gallons. It was the third-largest oil spill in U.S. history at the time. The 2015 Refugio oil spill released another 3,400 barrels. After Refugio, researchers analyzed 44 tar samples collected from beaches between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles, and only one sample traced back to the spill. The vast majority of beach tar in the area is natural.
For the longer history of how this works in the area, see our history of oil seeps in Santa Barbara.
Beach tar creates a lot of mess and nuisance
When you walk barefoot on a Santa Barbara beach, especially in the impacted areas, you will notice tar residues on your feet. Generally, there are minimal health issues associated with brief contact, but it is still important to remove the tar from your skin as soon as possible. Prolonged contact with heavy oil residues can cause allergic reactions, skin rash, or dermatitis.
If a rash or allergic reaction is severe, consult a healthcare provider. If you are sensitive to chemicals, remove the tar quickly to avoid complications. This is why we recommend keeping Oil Slick Beach Tar Remover handy in your car or beach bag.
How to remove beach tar from your skin
Removing beach tar from your skin is straightforward with the right tool. After stepping off the beach, grab a few paper towels or an old rag, spray Oil Slick Beach Tar Remover onto the cloth, and gently wipe the tar off.
For a full step-by-step including what to skip (gasoline, baby oil, mayonnaise, all the bad ideas), see our complete guide on how to get tar off skin. If you are dealing with a kid, our guide for safely removing tar from a child's skin covers the pediatric-friendly approach. And if your default fallback is reaching for the baby oil, our baby oil vs. Oil Slick comparison is worth a read first.
With Oil Slick you can skip the solvents, gasoline, and other harmful materials. It also works as a surf wax remover and cleans wetsuits. If you have old patches of surf wax stuck on a board from a few swells ago, Oil Slick will take it off. It also cleans tar off fishing lines and removes glue and adhesives from hands.
For the on-the-go version, the Oil Slick Beach Tar Remover Wipes are biodegradable bamboo cloths pre-soaked with the same formula. A 20-pack fits in any beach bag.
