Plastic garbage found in dead whale shark's belly

Whale shark found dead in Tagum City on August 7, 2018 PHOTO BY DARREL BLATCHLEY

Various kinds of plastic items were found inside the belly of a 14-foot butanding or whale shark, which was found dead along the shore in Tagum City last Tuesday.

The result of the necropsy conducted by marine biologist Darrell Blatchley, owner of D'Bone Collector Museum in Davao City, showed that the whale shark died due to plastic ingestion.

Plastic garbage recovered from the stomach of a whale shark, which was found dead on August 7, 2018. PHOTO BY DARREL BLATCHLEY

Blatchley said in the nine years that he conducted necropsy on whales, dolphins, turtles, and sharks the cause of death is commonly the result of irresponsible human activities.

The causes vary from dynamite fishing, plastic ingestion or the marine animals are killed by humans.

He voiced hope that people would give more value to the environment and to stop throwing garbage into lakes, rivers and the sea.

He also called on the public to stop killing endangered animals in the sea. — Peewee C. Bacuño/BAP, GMA News