Whale found dead with 100kg ‘litter ball’ in stomach

NEW DELHI: Fishing nets, ropes, bags, plastic cups, and gloves are just some of the items that have been found in the stomach of a sperm whale stranded on a beach. The whale was found dead on the Isle of Harris, Scotland, on Thursday by locals.


Experts from the Scottish Marine Animal Stranding Scheme , which investigates the deaths of whales and dolphins, said there was no evidence that the 100kg “litter ball” had “impacted or obstructed the intestines”. But they said the discovery of so much plastic pollution in its stomach was “nonetheless horrific”, and most likely “compromised digestion”.


“This amount of plastic serves to demonstrate the hazards that marine litter and lost or discarded fishing gear can cause to marine life,” the group added. The number of cetaceans being stranded on UK shores has risen, with 1,000 whales, dolphins, and porpoises found washed up in 2017 alone.