Plastic in Our Oceans: Marine Mammals Injured & Killed in 2023
By Jessica Boswell
Jessica Boswell is a recent graduate of the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an intern with the International Marine Mammal Project. While pursuing her Bachelor’s degree in Environmental Studies, she co-founded the UCSB Environmental Law Club and worked as a research assistant studying community ecology on the Palmyra Atoll. With aspirations to attend law school in the near future, Jessica hopes to become a dedicated advocate for marine animals.
Going over cases of harm to marine mammals from plastic pollution, the scourge has already claimed the lives of countless marine mammals. We have selected twelve stories from 2023 that exemplify the extent of the plastics crisis.
From entanglement to ingestion, marine mammals are suffering. Scientists have also documented high concentrations of microplastics in marine mammals (as well as humans), the ultimate impact of microplastics on living organisms is unknown.
Sperm Whale in Kaua’i
Date: January 27th, 2023
Location: Lydgate Park, Kaua’i
In early 2023, a sperm whale was found dead off the coast of Kaua’I, and its stomach contents revealed a disturbing truth about the plastic problem. According to the scientists performing the necropsy, the 56-foot-long whale had ingested a variety of manufactured plastic products, including several hagfish traps, seven types of fishing net, plastic bags, fishing line, and more. The buildup of this indigestible plastic likely resulted in a blockage that ultimately killed the whale. Hagfish traps have notoriously caused issues for the Hawaiian monk seal as well, an endangered species endemic to Hawai’i.
Humpback Whale in Kona
Date: January 31st, 2023
Location: Keahole Point, Oahu, Hawai’i
In January 2023, on the western edge of Oahu, Hawai’i, a humpback whale was spotted entangled in plastic netting and buoys. A team of NOAA experts located the whale and removed two buoys and roughly 100 feet of netting and fishing line wrapped tightly around its tail. However, the lacerations caused by the plastic gear were not the only concern; by the time rescuers freed the whale, it was notably emaciated and in poor physical condition as the entanglement had severely impaired its ability to hunt properly. The team can only hope the whale fully recovers now that it is free to swim and feed.
Gray Seal in New Jersey
Date: March 27th, 2023
Location: Highlands, New Jersey
Along the coast of New Jersey, a young gray seal was spotted entangled in plastic rope. Experts rushed to the site of the call where they were able to locate and rescue the seal pup. The line had embedded itself an inch into the pup’s neck and the wound required further treatment at the Marine Mammal Stranding Center. Upon inspection, the rescuers made another concerning discovery: they found a knot at the end of the rope, meaning it could have been purposely tied around the seal’s neck by humans. The center says they have treated several seals in recent years with rope knotted around their necks in a similar way, suggesting a possible pattern of intentional cruelty towards these curious creatures.
Humpback Whale in Scotland
Date: May 3rd, 2023
Location: Loch Fleet, Scotland
In early May, a humpback whale was found dead on the eastern shores of Scotland. The young, female whale drowned after becoming entangled in plastic fishing gear. The fishing rope was linked to a creel fishing operation, a common form of fishing off the coast of Scotland. Creel fishing poses a serious threat to whales, like this one, that encounter the lines stretching from the surface to the sea floor. Upon investigation, experts concluded that the whale had likely become entangled in plastic line before but had been successful in freeing herself. Unfortunately, she wasn’t as lucky the second time.
Experts disentangled a humpback whale off the coast of Kona, HI. Plastic nets and lines entangled this whale and could have killed it. Photo Credit: B. Lonergan, NOAA MMHSRP (Permit No. 24359)
Gray Seal in Cornwall
Date: July 4th, 2023
Location: St. Ives Harbor, Cornwall, England
On July 2nd, 2023, a gray seal quickly sparked concern among beachgoers at St. Ives Harbor in Southern England when it was spotted with a frisbee stuck around its neck. The plastic debris was cutting deep into the neck of the seal, nicknamed “Wings” by locals. A team of experts from a nearby sanctuary and the British Divers Marine Life Rescue quickly jumped into action and successfully freed the seal on their second attempt. Wings was lucky that such a dedicated team came to her rescue, but many seals are not as fortunate. As seals in the harbor become more habituated to humans, they are at greater risk of entanglement with plastic pollution.
Harbor Seal in SF
Date: July 9th, 2023
Location: San Francisco, California
A Pacific harbor seal pup in San Francisco Bay was freed by the Marine Mammal Center https://www.marinemammalcenter.org in early July from plastic fishing gear wrapped around its snout. The San Francisco Fire Department assisted in the process of rescuing the pup, nicknamed Cyrus. Cyrus was brought to the Marine Mammal Center so veterinarians could monitor his recovery before releasing him back into the wild. The playful demeanor of young seals makes them especially vulnerable to entanglements like this. Luckily, Cyrus made a full recovery, but every year thousands of seal pups die as a result of similar entanglements with plastic pollution.
Seals (Australian Fur Seal?) in Phillip Island
Date: July 2023
Location: Phillips Island, Australia
Marine mammal advocates in Australia are becoming increasingly concerned as more and more seals show up on beaches ensnared in plastic netting. In July 2023, a rescue team on Phillips Island found five seals tangled in plastic, but they could only free two. Dr. Rebecca McIntosh says young seals are of particular concern; they are playful and often mistake netting for kelp. The plastic also tightens as they grow, and it can quickly kill them if not removed. The team that freed the two pups on Phillips Island believe the plastic was from a garden or construction site, but it is impossible to track the specific source. They urge everyone to anchor down any outdoor plastic material that could pose a threat to marine animals or avoid it altogether.
Dolphin (species unknown) in Malta
Date: August 4th, 2023
Location: Fomm ir-Riħ, Malta
In the sparkling waters of Malta, a father and daughter spotted a dolphin entangled in plastic while kayaking off the coast of Fomm ir-Riħ. They were able to reach the dolphin and worked hard to remove the plastic ring themselves. Once freed from the plastic, the dolphin swam off and the family contacted the authorities in hopes that they could find the dolphin again to make sure it was well. The police and Environmental and Resource Authority of Malta were unable to locate the dolphin, but the Nature Trust Malta believes it likely returned to its pod.
Bottlenose Dolphin calf in Florida
Date: August 9th, 2023
Location: Cedar Key, Florida
In August of 2023, a team of experts from the Sarasota Dolphin Research Program, the Cedar Key Dolphin Project, and University of Florida’s Marine Animal Rescue (UFMAR) worked together to free a dolphin calf from plastic netting in Cedar Key, Florida. Cedar Key is an important area for bottlenose dolphin research, but it is also populated with many clam fishing operations that use plastic gear. The entangled calf, known as “DTNL”, was estimated to be 5 months old and was first spotted with its mother in June. The plastic, identified as cover netting, was wrapped tightly around the calf’s body and pectoral fin but the team was able to successfully remove it. Although the dolphin survived, experts must continue to monitor the calf to ensure that the injuries done by the plastic heal properly.
A sperm whale washed up dead in Kaua'i, its stomach filled with plastic debris that likely killed it. Photo Credit: Dan Dennison, Hawaii Department of Land and Natural Resources
Gray Seal in Norfolk
Date: September 23rd, 2023
Location: Horsey Beach, Norfolk, England
In September, on the eastern coast of England, another seal was found with a plastic ring stuck around its neck. The seal was transported to the East Winch Wildlife Centre where a team of veterinarians carefully removed the ring, which had cut deeply into the seal’s neck. Even after removing the plastic, the seal was emaciated and in poor condition. The wounds left by the plastic were so severe that the seal spent three months under the care of the Wildlife Centre. Thankfully, he made a full recovery and was released back into the wild by the team of experts that rescued him in September.
Humpback Whale in Alaska
Date: October 10th, 2023
Location: Glacier Bay National Park, Gustavus, Alaska
In October 2023, a young humpback whale was found hogtied by plastic fishing line in the waters near Glacier Bay National Park. The line was wrapped tightly from its mouth to tail, bending the whale’s body into a crescent shape and completely restricting its ability to swim, feed, and survive. The NOAA responders believed the whale had been stuck in this plastic line for three days. Thankfully, after seven long hours, responders successfully freed the whale from 450 feet of tangled line and a 300-pound crab pot. Once the final line was cut, the whale darted away in a rather anticlimactic ending to a long but rewarding day for NOAA rescuers.
Beaked Whale Calf in Emerald Isle
Date: October 30th, 2023
Location: Emerald Isle, North Carolina
In October of 2023, beachgoers made the unfortunate discovery of a Gervais beaked whale calf clinging to life in the shallow waters of Emerald Isle, North Carolina. The calf died shortly before the stranding team arrived, however, its death gained national attention when scientists at North Carolina State University performed a necropsy to determine what killed the young whale. During the examination, the scientists came across a 20-inch plastic balloon blocking the digestive tract. They believe this blockage caused the death of this young whale, a true tragedy that demonstrates the nasty reality of plastic in our oceans.
For more information on the impact of plastics on marine mammals, consult our report:
The Plastics Plague: Marine Mammals and Our Oceans in Peril.
Marine Mammals & Plastics Harm in 2024.
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The International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute is working to end the scourge of plastic pollution in our oceans. We are communicating with more than 200 delegates to the UN Plastics Treaty negotiations, urging restrictions on plastic fishing gear that harms marine mammals and other species, such as sharks and sea turtles. Additionally, our lawsuit against ten major corporations, including Proctor & Gamble, Coca Cola, and Clorox, is proceeding in California. Please donate to help end the plastics plague. Thank you!
