A rainbow-coloured sheen spotted on the surface of a historic canal sparked fears about pollution in the waterway.
The oily-looking film on the Royal Military Canal in Hythe was captured in a photo taken by wildlife photographer Kerry King, who described the event as “unusual and striking”.
Swirls of pink, orange, green, and blue were seen stretching across the water near a tree-lined stretch of the popular walking path.
While visually captivating, the display raised alarms, with feared it could signal the presence of oil or chemical contamination.
Mr King, who has lived in Hythe for 13 years, said: “I am a wildlife photographer and have been documenting the natural beauty and biodiversity along the Royal Military Canal for many years.
“On that morning, I witnessed an unusual and striking event along the canal.
“The water displayed an array of unnatural colours – an extraordinary sight visually, but one that immediately raised serious concerns about potential environmental contamination and the impact on local wildlife.
“I reported this incident to the Environment Agency (EA), and it is currently under investigation.”
The Royal Military Canal, a scheduled ancient monument built during the Napoleonic Wars, is now a peaceful haven for walkers, boaters, and fishermen.
The EA said specialist officers carried out analysis of a water sample after they received “a report of an oily sheen on the surface”.
Officers say they have “ruled out pollution” and instead said it was from a form of algae.
A spokesman said: “This was a form of algae that wasn’t toxic, and almost certainly a breakdown of leaves, grass that can give the impression of looking like oil.
“But it wasn’t pollution, but a naturally-occurring event brought on by warmer temperatures.”
“We’re grateful to the member of the public who called our 24-incident hotline on 0800 807060.
“We urge anyone who suspects something’s not right in our rivers and other waterways to do the same.”
A similar occurrence happened in Hythe in 2020.
The coastguard was called to the beach to reports of a suspected oil spill – but the substance turned out to be “natural algae”.
