‘Marimo’ mystery explained in a roundabout way, thanks

MY COLUMN of February 16 discussed the mysterious moss balls photographed on a west Cork strand by M Didier Le Goff, a Breton visitor. 

“Could you help me resolve the mystery of the Green Moss Bowls of Schull?” he asked.

Didier’s image matched those of ‘lake balls’, found in Iceland, Estonia, Scotland and Lake Akan in Hokkaido in Japan where they are called “marimo” and, due to their seemingly sentient behaviour, were regarded by the native Ainu people as magic.