tar balls?

Weekend before last I spent some time in Mississippi with my parents and youngest brother. We had a condo on the beach that was destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. However, over the last four years it was rebuilt and it reopened right before the gulf oil spill. While I was there we did see some black balls on the beach that were the consistency of a Tootsie Roll. I am not sure if these were tar balls. They didn't smell oily and the residue washed off in water. A coworker asked if I tried to burn it to see if it was oil. I didn't think of that. Anyone know? Is it just dark clay?

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