Sickening photos show inside of whale's stomach after it was found dead
WARNING – disturbing images: A juvenile whale has died after swallowing an unbelievable 40 kilograms of plastic bags.
The curvier beaked whale was found on Saturday in waters off Davao City in the Philippines.
While trying to establish a cause of death, volunteers from non-profit organisation D’ Bone Collector Museum made the incredible find inside the young whale’s stomach.
“40 kilos of plastic bags. Including 16 rice sacks. 4 banana plantation style bags and multiple shopping bags,” the organisation wrote on its Facebook page.
“This whale had the most plastic we have ever seen in a whale. It’s disgusting. Action must be taken by the government against those who continue to treat the waterways and ocean as dumpsters.”
Sickening images show piles of plastic being pulled from the whale’s stomach.
By the time the stomach is emptied, a huge pile of rubbish is left sitting alongside the carcass.
“It’s amazing how long the whale survived with this much plastic inside,” the group captioned one photo.
The photos have been shared more than 3500 times, with many upset about the effect of disposable waste on the environment.
Last April, a juvenile sperm whale was found washed up on a beach in Spain with 29kg of plastic debris in its stomach.
The whale is believed to have died from “gastric shock”, an autopsy revealed – and debris including nets, plastic bags and a jerry can were found in its stomach.
Closer to home, a pregnant whale that washed up dead on a beach in Melbourne last June was found to have a stomach full of plastic and kelp.
The whale had ingested plastic that blocked its stomach outflow, and it’s suspected it then ate kelp – which is not typical of its species – as it felt unwell.
The results prompted the state’s environment department and Melbourne Zoo to urge people to dispose of rubbish properly.
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