2023-11-09 11:55:04
Marine scientists dismayed by the death of a baby whale, which washed up after ingesting a plastic balloon on a North Carolina beach, have warned the public about the less festive reality of birthday balloons.
The young Gervais’s beaked whale died of starvation after ingesting a star-shaped birthday balloon, which became “crumpled” and lodged in the passage to its digestive system, “obstructing” the way, according to an autopsy carried out at the Marine Science and Technology Center at North Carolina State University, the “New York Post” reported Thursday.
The young female whale, 11 feet long, was found lifeless on October 30 on a beach in North Carolina, according to the American media.
But it was an avoidable death, the Center insisted, urging citizens to think twice before buying plastic or aluminum balloons for their celebrations.
He suggests instead turning to biodegradable paper decorations, or at least making sure to dispose of them properly – by deflating the balloon, to remove all the gases, and recycling it – to prevent “they “do not break away and pose an unnecessary and tragic danger, causing starvation and death of wildlife,” he said according to the “NY Post”.
Just on North Carolina beaches, about 125 marine mammals are estimated to wash ashore each year, many after interactions with humans involving net entanglements, boat strikes and plastic consumption.
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