MILAN, Metropolitan City of Milan — The World Wildlife Foundation is sounding the alarm over plastics in the Mediterranean Sea after an 8-meter (over 26-foot) sperm whale was found dead off Sardinia with 22 kilograms (48.5 pounds) of plastic in its belly.
The environmental organization said Monday the garbage recovered in the sperm whale's stomach included a corrugated tube for electrical works, plastic plates, shopping bags, tangled fishing lines and a washing detergent package with the brand and bar code still legible.
The female whale beached off the northern coast of Sardinia last week.
The non-profit group Sea-Me told CNN that the whale was pregnant and the fetus was in "an advanced state of composition" when it was discovered.
WWF said plastic is one of the greatest threats to marine life and has killed at least five other whales around the world in the last two years.
