Sperm whale found dead from ‘gastric shock’ with 29 kilos of plastic rubbish in its stomach

In a heartbreaking illustration of the dangers of plastic in our oceans, a young male sperm whale was found washed up in Spain with 29 kilos of plastic debris in its stomach.

The whale is believed to have died from ‘gastric shock’, an autopsy revealed – and debris including rotes, nets, plastic bags and a jerry can were found in its stomach.

Experts at the El Valle Wildlife Rescue Centre say that the 33ft, six-ton animal died from an inflammation of the inner walls of the abdomen, probably the result of the huge amounts of plastic in its body.

Whales are dying in increasing numbers from ingesting plastic, IFLScience reports.

In 2016, a pod of 13 sperm whales washed up with plastic rubbish inside them, including one with a 28-inch sheet of plastic from a car.

The Murcian government has now launched a campaign against dumping plastic rubbish in the sea.

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Consuelo Rosauro director-general for the environment in Murcia’s government said, ‘Many animals get trapped in the rubbish or ingest great quantities of plastic which end up causing their death.’

Consuelo Rosauro, the director-general for the natural environment in the Murcian government, said plastic waste in the ocean had become one of the biggest threats to marine life around the the world in the last decade.