Hairy Balls on the Beach

I don't remember exactly how the topic came up between us, but last night Cute Hubby asked me if I'd ever seen hairy balls at the beach, stop laughing and pay attention. This immediately put the image in my head of some awful old dude on the nude beach, but I said no. I swear to g*d I have no idea what he's talking about. He says that they're like hairy sponges and that he used to throw them around the beach in France. They're composed out of some kind of seaweed or something like that. How about you guys? Ever seen hairy balls at the beach? Cute Hubby is banking on some of my European followers knowing. How about it?