http://blog.oceanconservancy.org/2014/08/26/plastics-are-a-whale-of-a-problem-for-our-ocean/
Plastics Are a Whale of a Problem for Our Ocean
Posted On August 26, 2014 by Nick Mallos
Sei whales are majestic animals and I?ve had the great fortune of
witnessing their grace and splendor in the open ocean. Last week,
however, a 45-foot sei whale washed up on the shores of the Elizabeth
River in Virginia. An 11-foot bruise above her left jaw and two
fractured vertebrae led the Virginia Aquarium Stranding Response Team to
believe she was killed by blunt force trauma following a collision with
a ship.
However, a necropsy revealed that the whale also had ?a large sharp
piece of rigid, black plastic? roughly the size of a standard index card
lodged in her stomach.
In the days leading up to her death, the Virginia Aquarium team said
that she ?was thin and its movements were not indicative of a healthy
whale.? They believe that the plastic in the whale?s stomach prevented
her from feeding normally. This likely weakened the whale and could
explain why she swam up the Elizabeth River.