We don’t need any more evidence that our packaging and littering habits are killing the ocean, but here one is anyway.
Last month, this orca washed up in Plettenberg Bay in South Africa’s Western Cape with a stomach full of litter, before sadly dying shortly after.
Cause of death? Starvation.
When dissected, Yoghurt pots, food wrappers and even the sole of a shoe were found inside the whale’s stomach.
It’s thought that, lacking any real nutrition and with the pain of all that packaging in its system, the orca became unable to hunt with the rest of it’s pod and had therefore began to look for food in shallow water.
Although a rescue team tried to save the orca, the starvation was already to severe, with it’s stomach lining already seriously detoriated, and they were unable to keep it alive.
While we find this story inconceivably sad, more than anything it makes us feel incredibly angry.
Marine littering is out of control, it’s thought that by 2050 there will be more plastic in the ocean than fish and soon after that, the coral reefs will reach a level of disrepair that we can;t return from.
There are campaigns out there, working to prevent this outcome, but unless we all take a conscious step towards helping them, the ocean has no chance.
Don’t just be sad that this happened, do something about it.
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