A young female orca has tragically lost her life because of plastic pollution. The 16-foot whale was found dead on a beach in the state of Espírito Santo, on the east coast of Brazil, with a 2.5-foot-long sheet of plastic in her stomach.
The day before her death, the orca was filmed swimming up to a fisherman's boat, playfully interacting with the divers on board and allowing herself to be touched. The video was shared by the conservation group Projeto Baleia Jubarte on Facebook.
Oceanographer Paulo Rodrigues told local media that it was unusual for the orca to act in this way—normally, humans should not come within 330 feet of the whales. He said this seemingly playful behavior was likely a cry for help. The next day, the whale's body, thin and covered with shark bites, was found stranded on a beach in the municipality of Serra. Barnacles living on her sides suggested she had not been able to swim properly for a while.
The International Union for the Conservation of Nature has estimated that at least 14 million tons of plastic waste end up in the ocean every year. Large pieces of plastic can be swallowed by marine animals or become tangled around their necks and fins. When ingested, these pieces of plastic can block their digestive system, making them feel full, reducing their urge to eat and making it harder for the animals to get enough nutrients to survive.
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A necropsy conducted by Brazil's Orca Institute revealed a 2.5-foot-long sheet of hard plastic rolled up inside the dead orca's stomach, along with plastic bags and other plastic debris. The institute's environmental manager, João Marcelo Ramos, told local media that nothing else was in the stomach besides this material, which suggests she had been unable to feed for a long time.
An orca is seen jumping out of the water. In Brazil, a young female orca was found dead on a beach, the victim of plastic pollution.An orca is seen jumping out of the water. In Brazil, a young female orca was found dead on a beach, the victim of plastic pollution.Gemma Winston/GettyThe Orca Institute's director, Lupércio Barbosa, said large amounts of plastic had been found in other marine animals in the area, causing concern among marine biologists.
Orcas are known to swim along the Brazilian coast in small groups, Projeto Baleia Jubarte said, and other strandings have been recorded during beach monitoring work. The conservation group did not specify whether these had also been the result of plastic pollution.
Newsweek contacted Projeto Baleia Jubarte for comment.
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