Pictures and Explainer: The phenomenon of Bundoran’s sea foam

Huge waves drew photographers to Bundoran's main beach on Friday. But it was the massive amounts of sea foam accumulating on shore that had everyone mesmerised. Read on to find out what caused this phenomenon, and click on the arrows to see our photo gallery showing the full extent of the remarkable natural occurrance.

The foam not only covered the main beach, but also the access steps, adjacent paths and was even blowing into the car park.

It was particularly confusing for dogs out for a walk with their owners on a crisp November day. They were somewhat baffled to arrive at the beach only to find it had disappeared under a huge blanket of foam.

So what caused this remarkable natural phenomenon?

A spokesperson for the Marine Institute / Foras na Mara told Donegal Live: “Seawater can contain a lot of organic materials and some of these are naturally foaming agents. 

“Combined with  wind and rough seas this can result in large quantities of  foam that is accumulated into coastal areas where it  can result in these events.

“The sea foam in Donegal is most likely a result of onshore winds and rough seas which churn up any disintegrating organic matter, such as algae. 

“This is much like the bubbles that are formed when any liquid is shaken vigorously, though on a much larger scale.”

The occurrence, while spectacular, is not unprecedented.

“These beach foams occur occasionally in Ireland,” the spokesperson said. “There was a spectacular and similar event in the south east in 2021”

With regards to whether the foam contains any harmful matter, the spokesperson said: “The foams are generally harmless and will dissipate  within days.”

It was certainly quite a sight to behold as masses of foam were carried in on the tide and deposited on the shore. 

This is not the first time this has happened in Bundoran, but it remains a spectacular phenomenon especially when coupled with the huge churning waves in the surfzone and along the cliffs.