Plastic Pollution: Marine Mammals Injured & Killed in 2024
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.
Just six months into 2024, plastic has already claimed the lives of countless marine mammals. We have selected five stories from the first half of the year 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. The rest of 2024 is sure to bring more devastation to the marine environment as plastic continues to flood into our oceans by the ton.
Right Whale in Edgartown
Date: January 28th, 2024
Location: Edgartown, Massachusetts
A young female right whale washed up dead on the shores of a coastal Massachusetts town with rope wrapped tightly around its tail. Days later a necropsy confirmed what researchers had already assumed: the entanglement played a substantial role in the death of the whale. With only about 360 are left in the wild, the death of this right whale leaves experts with even less hope for the future recovery of this endangered species. NOAA officials note that the most common causes of death for right whales are plastic fishing gear entanglement and vessel strikes, both human-caused and entirely preventable with proper mitigation strategies like gear restrictions and vessel speed reductions.
A dead young gray seal with a plastic ring around its neck, which likely choked it to death. Photo Credit: Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust
Gray Seal Pup in Beach Haven
Date: February 15th, 2024
Location: Beach Haven, New Jersey
In February, the Marine Mammal Stranding Center rescued a gray seal pup with plastic bound around its neck. Rescuers say that the plastic was from a case of bottled water. The plastic had not begun to cut into the pup’s skin by the time she was rescued, but the Marine Mammal Stranding Center reports that she was lethargic, emaciated, and suffering from gastrointestinal issues. She was likely part of the larger winter migration of young gray seals into New Jersey waters. During this time, the center sees a particularly high rate of cases similar to this. After seven weeks of treatment, the seal pup was released in the North Brigantine Natural Area.
Gray Seal in Donna Nook
Date: March, 2024
Location: Donna Nook, Louth, United Kingdom
Along England’s eastern coastline, a deceased seal was found with a plastic ring around its neck. The plastic ring appeared to be some sort of packaging material, but the exact origin is unknown. Wildlife experts are concerned that the busy summer months will cause an uptick in these kinds of incidents. While some seals can be rescued in time, like Wings, the Cornish seal found in 2023, others are not so lucky. Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust urges beachgoers to clean up after themselves to protect the local seals, whose curiosity makes them particularly vulnerable to the dangers of plastic pollution.
Elephant Seal in San Luis Obispo County
Date: May 6th, 2024
Location: Piedras Blancas, San Luis Obispo County, California
After more than a week of observing, experts from the Marine Mammal Center successfully freed an elephant seal with a plastic band wrapped tightly around its head. The seal had been spotted months earlier, but prior rescue attempts were unsuccessful. By the time she was freed, the plastic had cut deeply into her blubber, causing serious wounds. Rescuers suspect that the plastic also interfered with her ability to feed, as she was in poor condition and emaciated when they reached her. Once the plastic band was removed, experts determined that she would not need further antibiotic treatment, and she was left to recover on the beach. The Marine Mammal Center will continue to monitor the seal to ensure a full recovery.
Gray Seal in New Brighton
Date: June 23rd, 2024
Location: New Brighton, United Kingdom
On June 23rd, 2024, In New Brighton, a seal was found dead with a plastic bag lodged in its mouth. A family of local beachgoers came across the seal and noted no other major injuries that could have caused its death. While the seal has not been examined yet, it is likely that it was suffocated by the plastic bag. The sight was certainly heartbreaking and a stark reminder of the direct impact that plastics can have on marine life.
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 in 2023.
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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!
