Plastic balloon responsible for death of beached whale found in North Carolina

The appearance of a dead whale on a North Carolina beach late last month has been tied to a balloon, scientists said. 

Beachgoers in Emerald Isle reported the presence of a live Gervais’ beaked whale in shallow water on the afternoon of Oct. 30 to a local mammal stranding organization. 

A team later confirmed that the female beaked whale, who was nursing, had passed, according to a Facebook post by the North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology. 

The nearly 11-foot whale was taken to the research center for a necropsy after it was removed from the beach. 

Everything appeared normal until scientists opened up the whale's stomach the next morning and found a pentagon-shaped plastic balloon. 

The crumpled balloon was obstructing the whale’s digestive passage to the rest of the gastrointestinal tract, according to the post.

What made this beached whale such an interesting study?  

It's rare to see a Gervais’ beaked whale out in the wild because its normal habitat is at the continental shelf edge and beyond. Even then, the large marine mammal spends most of its time underwater.

Very little is known about the whale’s social structure and life history, according to the post. 

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How to prevent other aquatic animals from meeting a similar fate

Around 125 marine mammals become stranded on North Carolina beaches annually, including whales, dolphins, porpoises, seals and manatees. 

Animals can wash ashore due to natural causes, human interactions, ship and boat strikes, or ingestion of plastic, the post states. 

The North Carolina State University Center for Marine Sciences and Technology advises beachgoers to consider purchasing biodegradable balloon alternatives instead of latex or Mylar, which are what balloons are made of. 

“Though people often release balloons to remember and honor loved ones, we urge people to consider other methods like lighting a candle or scattering flower petals to commemorate their loved ones instead,” the post states. 

If you do decide to purchase latex or Mylar balloons, they should be disposed of properly. 

“Please make sure all gases have been removed from balloons prior to discarding. This can avoid them getting ‘loose’ and posing an unnecessary and tragic danger, causing wildlife to starve and perish over time, as in the case of this unfortunate Gervais’ beaked whale.” 

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