Sperm Whale Found Dead On Spanish Beach, Had 29 Kg Of Plastic In Its Stomach!

The largest of the toothed whales, a sperm whale, once again was found dead, after it swallowed 64 pounds of plastic debris. 

Congratulations to all of us. Together, we are responsible for the demise of many innocent creatures who think the water is their home, completely arcane that we use it as a dumpster. 

The male sperm whale washed ashore dead on the Murcian coast in southern Spain in late February. 

El Valle Wildlife Rescue Center investigated the cause. After a thorough check, they determined that the sperm whale indeed died because of the ginormous amount of plastic found in her body. It was killed by a gastric shock to its stomach and intestines after it ingested 64 pounds of plastic.

Through autopsy, they found plastic nets, ropes, bags, sacks and even a plastic jerrycan inside her body. 

The inner walls of the whale’s body were inflamed because of the fungal infection, likely because the whale was unable to digest or expel the plastic from its system. 

Greenpeace Philippines/ Representative Image

Thankfully, following the whale’s death, the Murcia government kick-started a campaign against dumping in the waters. They are educating, building awareness on the subject and asking people to not dump waste in the coastal region. 

God knows how many more examples and deaths we need, to understand the gravity of our actions. Spilling and tossing debris on the beaches is leading to an alarming number of deaths of innocent sea mammals. 

Just after the massive Versova beach clean-up drive, Olive Ridley Turtles made a come back to the beach after 12-15 years. 

The turtle hatchling is a clear-cut example of how we are interfering in their lives and its time that we give them what they deserve.