Scuba diver rescues fish trapped in plastic bag, netizens concerned over 'plastic waste'

A compassionate scuba diver rescuing a tiny distressed fish trapped inside a plastic bag underwater has given a stark reminder of how plastic pollution endangers marine creatures’ lives and poses threats to the oceanic ecosystem. The rescue mission was shot off the coast of Thailand's Phuket Island when a group of divers on a leisure marine exploration spotted a tiny fish nosediving oddly on the bed of the seafloor. One of the divers, Nat Senmuang, gently swims towards the fish and lifts what appears to be a transparent layer, inside which, the fish seems to be resting still. As the incident was captured on the camera, it soon becomes obvious that the fish was “trapped” inside the plastic bag, unable to swim, while it remains unclear for how many days exactly it had remained stranded, without food. 

The headcam footage was shared by the Indian Forest Officer Susanta Nanda who appreciated the kind gesture of the diver as she freed the fish from the plastic trap. The diver, in the clip, repeatedly inspects the bag gently lifting the litter off the ocean floor. She then carefully swishes the plastic bag several times to let the creature out. The fish appears to be barely breathing inside, and most likely would have suffocated and drowned if it weren’t for the diver’s rescue.

Nat shakes the plastic bag to revive the fish. The visuals are a stark reminder of how harmful and threatening plastic pollution is to marine life and oceans. The video was shot a couple of years ago but has resurfaced on social media. Nat had not only rescued the fish but she also carried the plastic litter with herself to safely dispose it off, out of the ocean. 

''As a local, I have seen an increase in pollution, and litter has become very dangerous for many lives in the ocean. I want everyone to be more considerate of other creatures just by putting their trash in the bin, not scattering rubbish around the beach,” the diver had told the local news outlets. ''Those beautiful creatures soon will be extinct because of us, unless we change our ways,” she warned. 

Plastic injures marine creatures, disrupts sea foodchain

According to research published in the Journal of Hazardous Materials, an estimated 5,70,000 hermit crabs die after climbing into plastic debris confusing it for empty shells, each year. Hermit crabs do not have shells of their own and use empty shells or hollow objects as protection. The empty plastic container and bottles on the beach create a trap for hermit crabs searching for food or water that may be found in the containers. Scientists also warn that plastic pollution hampers the sustainability of the seafood value chain, and injures marine animals by mechanical effects, such as the entanglement in plastic objects, death due to the ingestion of plastic wastes, or exposure to chemicals in plastics. 

IMAGE: Twitter/@susantananda3