At a Glance

Officials say the massive bloom was triggered byuntreated wastewater dumped into the ocean.Phosphates from laundry detergents, shampoos and soap feed the blooms that appear annually, researchers say.

Boracay Island in the Philippines was hit by a massive algal bloom this week just days before a temporary six-month closure was to begin to allow beaches torecover from pollution and overcrowding.

Officials say the dumped into the ocean, the Philippines Star reports.

Jim Sampulna, regional director for theDepartment of Environment and Natural Resources, told Business World Online that research conducted in 2015 indicates that , shampoos and soap feed the blooms that appear annually.

While some algal blooms are harmless to humans, others can contain , which can cause nausea, vomiting and, in severe cases, acute liver failure in humans.

"Most blooms, in fact, are beneficial because the," according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. "In fact, they are the major source of energy that fuels the ocean food web."

They become dangerous to marine life, pets and humans when toxins are produced through nitrogen and phosphorus-laden runoff.

It is unclear if the algal bloom in Boracay contains toxic cyanobacteria.

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The Boracay Foundation, comprised of representatives from Boracay’s tourism establishments, organizations, residents and expatriates, disputes Sampulna's claim, saying that the algal bloom is "simply a natural phenomenon that occurs yearly during the summer period."

The nearly 4-square mile, world-renowned island was closed Thursday to allow for rehabilitation after years of overcrowding and overdevelopment. Famed for its turquoise waters and powdery sand,it lies about 200 miles south of Manila and is visited by an estimated 2 million tourists each year.