An emaciated dwarf sperm whale calf was recently found washed ashore on Butler Beach in St. Augustine, Florida.
The calf was very thin, had minor cuts from beaching, and its mother was nowhere in sight.
Unfortunately, the whale had to be euthanized due to its condition.
In an Instagram post, the St. Johns County Beach Services shared a video along with the results of a necropsy, where scientists discovered a large plastic bag in the calf’s main stomach “with associated ulcers.”
Oceana’s Plastics Campaign Director Christy Leavitt said:
“Plastic has not only been thrust onto us as a society, but it’s also been pushed onto our oceans and marine wildlife. There’s nothing natural about a plastic bag in a whale calf’s belly. Plastic production is increasing at a rapid rate and so too is the amount of plastic going into the oceans. Many tragedies from plastic in the ocean go unobserved, and the ones we see are just a snapshot. The plastics crisis is deep, wide, and pervasive, affecting ecosystems and animals in ways we are only beginning to understand.
“Our elected leaders must do more to protect marine wildlife from plastic pollution. We need to reduce the production and use of unnecessary single-use plastics for the sake of animals’ health, our health, and the health of our blue planet.”
