Over 2 Feet Rolled Hard Plastic Found Inside Dead 16-Foot Killer Whale, Shark Bites Found All Over Beached Carcass in Brazil

A 16-foot killer whale that had died in Brazil had a rolled hard plastic object inside of it that was over two feet long. Additionally, the carcass has several shark bites.

Tragically, another orca, this time, a young female lost her life as a result of plastic pollution. A 2.5-foot-long sheet of rolled hard plastic was discovered inside the stomach of the 16-foot whale when she was discovered dead on a beach in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.

Last Moments of a Dying Orca

The orca was captured on camera swimming up to a fisherman's boat the day before she passed away, playfully interacting with the divers inside, and letting them touch her. Projeto Baleia Jubarte, a conservation organization, posted the video on Facebook.

According to oceanographer Paulo Rodrigues, it was strange for the orca to behave in this way because, typically, people shouldn't approach whales up to 330 feet away. Playful behavior, he claimed, was probably a cry for assistance. The whale's thin, shark-bite-covered body was discovered the following day beached in the municipality of Serra. She had barnacles living on her sides, indicating that she had trouble swimming properly for some time.

Plastic Waste in the Oceans

At least 14 million tons of plastic waste are thought to be dumped into the ocean each year, according to the International Union for the Conservation of Nature. Large pieces of plastic can entangle marine animals' fins and necks or be swallowed by them. These plastic pieces, when ingested, can obstruct an animal's digestive tract, causing them to feel full and less inclined to eat. This makes it more difficult for the animal to obtain the nutrients it needs to survive.

The dead orca's stomach contained a 2.5-foot-long sheet of hard plastic that was rolled up, as well as plastic bags and other plastic debris, according to a necropsy performed by Brazil's Orca Institute. Nothing else was found in the stomach apart from this material, which implies she had been unable to eat for a considerable amount of time, according to the environmental manager for the institute, João Marcelo Ramos, who spoke to local media.

Lupércio Barbosa, the director of the Orca Institute, noted that significant amounts of plastic had been discovered in nearby marine animals, raising concerns among marine biologists.

According to Projeto Baleia Jubarte, orcas are known to swim in small groups along the Brazilian coast, and other strandings have been noted while conducting beach monitoring work. The environmental organization did not say if these were also the result of plastic pollution, Newsweek reports.

Read also: Endangered Blue Whale Off California Coast is a Rare December Sighting 

Death By Plastic

Every area of the ocean is contaminated by plastic waste, which also threatens marine life and makes its way into the seafood we consume. Plastic pollution is suffocating our oceans and destroying wildlife everywhere from local beaches to far-flung tropical islands and polar regions. It is the clearest illustration of how people have impacted our seas. At the moment, the oceans receive over 11 million metric tons of plastic annually. According to the World Wildlife Fund, by the year 2050, there may be more plastic in the ocean by weight than fish.

Often referred to as "ghost gear," lost, abandoned, or discarded fishing gear is one of the most harmful types of marine plastic pollution. Fishing nets and ropes made of plastic make up about 10% of the plastic pollution in the world's oceans. 300,000 whales, porpoises, and dolphins become unintentionally tangled in nets and lines each year, whereupon they suffer a slow and agonizing demise from starvation, suffocation, or exhaustion.

Related article: Young Female Humpback Whale Ballooning Carcass Found on Shores of British Columbia