The mysterious substance in Alaska that washed up on coastal shores has been confusing witnesses for months now after first appearing in the area. The orange mystery has had several people spinning theories ranging everywhere from an alien substance falling from space to an unidentified species of fish eggs migrating en masse. And as the mystery deepened, so did health concerns surrounding the unidentified subject. But now the real culprit has been finally discovered. So what was it?
The mysterious orange goo has been analyzed by scientists working at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The mystery has remained unsolved up until this point when the final verdict finally came in not a moment too soon for those wondering if it had any effects on those exposed to it. After countless hours of searching and analysis, the substance has been positively identified as an unprecedented (for the region) mass of fungus spores coming from what is commonly known as the “rust” fungus – commonly seen in spruce trees. While scientists were having difficulty finding the exact type of fungus, there was some speculation that this may be an entirely new species. So it appears the mystery is solved. But where did it come from? And why did it appear in such a large wave on the Alaskan coast?
When the mystery goo was first discovered it was fast approaching the Alaskan coastline in large waves and lines. Locals were understandably concerned. The ooze was collecting on the coastline in large globs and further up near the village of Kivalina. Fearing a health hazard may be on the horizon, those who witnessed the mass approach contacted health authorities in an attempt to discover what could have been going on.
There have been many substances over the years that mysteriously fall from the sky or come across the ocean and leave behind controversy and mystery. In Kerala, India between July and September of 2001 there was a mysterious red substance that rained from the sky that scientists would later analyze for years without success. The Kerala rain appeared under microscope almost like very small red blood cells. The depressed centers at the center of the mysterious substance suggested a biological origin.
In 2007 on August 21st, a similar mysterious rainfall occurred in Kozhikode district in Vadakara when a red substance started falling from the sky with similar results. Although it was nowhere near as large as the Alaskan orange goo or the mysterious red rain that fell on Kerala, India, it was part of a long standing tradition of red rain in the world. There is a long history of red and orange rain falling in urban areas, traditionally sharing tidings that doom was fast approaching on its heels.
In the Iliad, Zeus brought forth a red rain that warned of coming doom for the Achaeans. Blood rain has long been a mystical indicator of bad news according to Roman traditions, recorded in many of the texts that foretold signs from the gods known as portents. Luckily, the orange goo does not appear to have been a portent of doom nor does it seem to have come from another world. It was nothing more than a spore colony that had amassed in massive numbers and then migrated on the wind and ocean. Now if only we could figure out where these spores came from.
The main problem with the spore identification is the fact that the nearest spruce trees to the area are some 40 miles away, meaning even if the fungus is positively identified, this mystery is not quite solved yet.