Mysterious white foam blankets sri lankan shores after deadly cyclone ditwah kills 650

In the wake of Cyclone Ditwah’s devastating passage through Sri Lanka, which claimed approximately 650 lives and left 200 people missing, an unexpected phenomenon emerged along the northern Jaffna coastline. As the deadly storm finally departed on December 2 after four days of destruction, residents discovered thick patches of snow-white foam covering stretches of beach—a sight none had witnessed before.

The surreal scene provided a stark contrast to the nation’s grief, as children ran barefoot through the mysterious foam, playing as if it were snow under the returning sunshine. However, the unusual occurrence sparked immediate concerns among locals who feared the foam indicated ocean contamination from floodwaters that had swept through industrial areas and sewage systems during the cyclone.

Scientists quickly moved to reassure the public that the phenomenon was entirely natural. Ganapathypillai Arulananthan, former director-general of Sri Lanka’s National Aquatic Resources Research and Development Agency (NARA), explained that such sea foam commonly forms after powerful storms. “Rough seas churn microscopic algae and plankton, releasing organic compounds that act like natural surfactants,” he noted, describing how strong winds and waves typical of the northeast monsoon season create the foamy spectacle.

The incident highlights how extreme weather events can trigger unexpected natural responses in marine ecosystems, even as communities grapple with the immediate human and environmental toll of increasingly severe tropical storms in the region.