Local authorities in Florida have shared a tragic image of an endangered dead hawksbill sea turtle.
The poor creature washed up on the beaches of St. Augustine, Florida, and had plastic debris wrapped around its front flipper and mouth. Officials speculate that the entanglement may be the cause of why the front flipper was torn off.
Commenting on the tragic case, Christy Leavitt from Oceana stated:
“The devastating outcome for this hawksbill sea turtle serves as a grim reminder of the harmful impacts of plastic pollution on ocean wildlife. We are living in a single-use plastic society where we can’t escape plastic, and neither can marine animals. Tragedies in the ocean often go unobserved, and the ones that involve plastic are no different. We need government policies to ensure companies reduce their production of single-use plastics to combat the plastics crisis and prevent the senseless suffering of marine life.”
You can find the distressing image on Instagram or shown below.
