A sperm whale’s stomach is bound to be pretty disgusting — all those giant intestines and huge amounts of blood — but authorities have found nearly 6 pounds of plastic waste in the stomach of a dead sperm whale that washed ashore on a beach in southern Indonesia in November 2018.
The waste included more than 100 plastic cups, four plastic bottles, 25 plastic bags, two flip-flops and hundreds of other pieces of plastic, WWF-Indonesia said in a statement on Facebook.
The 9.5-meter-long sperm whale was in such a state of decomposition when it washed up on the beach that it was impossible for researchers to determine if the huge piece of plastic was what ultimately killed it the animal.
“Although we couldn’t deduce the cause of death, the facts we see are truly horrific,” said Dwi Suprati, marine species conservation coordinator at WWF-Indonesia, to Associated Press.
Sperm whales (Physeter microcephaluslisten)) are the only living species of their genus and the largest living species of toothed whales. Adult females reach up to 11 meters in length and weigh between 13 and 14 tonnes, while adult males are much larger, measuring 18 meters in length and weighing between 35 and 45 tonnes, according to theAmerican Cetacean Society (ACS).
These marine giants feed mainly on squid, fish, rays and deep-sea octopus and consume around 900 kg of food every day, according to the ACS. And, it looks like plastic is becoming an increasingly common part of their diet.
Earlier in 2018, another dead sperm whale washed up on the Spanish coast, probably killed by 29 kg of plastic waste discovered in his intestine.
Sperm whales are found in all the oceans of the world and it is no surprise that they are cruising around Indonesia. The country sits smack in the middle of the ‘Coral Triangle’, a marine diversity hotspot and the area with the greatest risk of plastic pollution in the marine environment, according to a report. study of 2017.
Since 2010, Indonesia has been the second most plastic-polluting country in the world after China; it produces more than 3 million tons of plastic waste per year, according to a 2015 study published in the journal Science.
Indonesia’s Coordinating Minister for Maritime Affairs Luhut Binsar Pandjaitan told the AP that the dead sperm whale should prompt the country’s government and its citizens to significantly reduce the use of plastic.
He said the government is working to get shops to stop using plastic bags and communities to educate students nationwide about the issue. The Indonesian government aims to reduce plastic use by 70% by 2025, the AP reported.
“This great ambition can be achieved if people learn to understand that plastic waste is a common enemy,” Mr Pandjaitan said.
Source: www.livescience.com