A baby turtle, washed up in Boca Raton, Florida, died shortly after it was found with 104 pieces of plastic in its stomach. A heartbreaking photograph, shared by the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center on Facebook has gone viral, collecting a ton of outrage.
The picture shows the baby turtle, no bigger than the palm of a hand, lying next to the plastic fragments it swallowed.
“It was weak and emaciated. I could just tell it wasn’t doing well,” Ms Mirowski told CNN. A dissection of its stomach after it died revealed 104 pieces of plastic, ranging from bottle caps to balloons. Ms Mirowski explained that having plastic in their belly makes baby turtles think they are full. As a result, they don’t eat and don’t receive the nutrition they need.
“It was really heartbreaking,” she said. “But it’s something we’ve seen for several years and we’re just glad people are finally seeing this image and hopefully it’s raising awareness.”
The incident highlights the toll that plastic pollution takes on the environment and wildlife.
Each year, thousands of marine turtles die after consuming or becoming entangled in plastic. According to the United Nations, there will be more plastic than fish in the world’s oceans by 2050 if current trends of using single-use plastics continue.