Earlier this year, a heartbreaking discovery on a beach in Spain left scientists and environmentalists reeling. The body of a young sperm whale washed ashore near Cabo de Palos, Murcia — and the cause of its death stunned everyone.
Inside the whale’s stomach, researchers found over 30 kilograms (66 pounds) of plastic waste, revealing a grim truth about the impact of ocean pollution.
The ten-meter-long whale, which should have been thriving on a diet of squid, octopus, and small marine creatures, had instead consumed a disturbing array of debris: plastic bags, tangled nets, straws, ropes, and even a large plastic drum.
