In the Compostela town of Mabini last March 15, a juvenile Cuvier’s beaked whale was found ashore and died shortly. When opened up for inspection on the cause of death, the beached 500-kilo creature had 40 kilos of plastic waste in its belly. A marine biologist listed the plastic items, which included 16 rice sacks, four bags used in banana plantations and numerous types of shopping bags. Unable to ingest food due to the plastic, the whale died of starvation a day after its beaching. It’s not the first time that a marine creature has died because of plastic ingestion. Marine turtles have also been found dead with plastic waste in their guts. Their deaths are a frustrating reminder of humans’ filthy habits and improper waste disposal despite the numerous warnings about the risks posed by plastic items to the environment.

Whale killers. (2019, March 25). The Philippine Star, p. 12.