Wildlife

Sperm Whale Dies from Plastic Trash

A young male sperm whale washed up dead on the southeastern coast of Spain in February, and now scientists know what killed the animal.

During a recent necropsy, investigators discovered nearly 65 lbs. (29 kilograms) of plastic trash crammed into the dead whale's stomach and intestines, including dozens of plastic bags, chunks of mangled rope and glass, a large water container and several "sacks of raffia [a fiber derived from palm trees].

The 33-foot-long (10 meters) whale was found dead on the beach at Cabo de Palos, near Murcia, Spain, on Feb. 27. Researchers at El Valle Wildlife Recovery Center performed the autopsy and determined that the whale likely died from a form of abdominal infection. The whale simply could not expel the vast amount of plastic it swallowed, the researchers said, causing the mammal's digestive system to become lethally impacted or infected.

This news provides another vivid example of the staggering amount of plastic waste humans are dumping into the world's oceans.