In just the latest reminder of the dangers of pollution in our oceans, a dead whale in Indonesia has been found with 13.2 pounds (six kilograms) of plastic waste in its stomach.
The 31.17-foot sperm whale was found near Kapota Island in Wakatobi National Park, southeast of Sulawesi.
Park officials found bags, plastic bottles, sandals and 115 plastic cups in the whale’s stomach, as well as a sack containing more than 1,000 pieces of string.
“Although we have not been able to deduce the cause of death, the facts that we see are truly awful,” said Dwi Suprapti, marine species conservation coordinator at WWF-Indonesia, in a statement to CNN.
The macabre discovery was made in an area popular with tourists and comes at a time of increasing concern over the impact of plastic pollution on marine life.