Baby turtle found with 104 pieces of plastic in its stomach

A baby turtle that washed up on a beach in Boca Raton, Florida, died soon after it was discovered by the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center the previous week. According to reports, 104 pieces of plastic were found in its stomach. The Nature Centre deduced that the turtle have ingested the plastic while swimming in the ocean.  

Over 100 pieces of plastic found in stomach 

A heartbreaking image of the baby loggerhead sea turtle was shared by the Gumbo Limbo Nature Center on its Facebook page, on Tuesday. In the image, the dead baby turtle the size of a palm of one's hand was shown lying next to all the plastic fragments what have been obtained from its stomach. Soon after the image was on the site, it went viral with millions of users who were outraged and concerned began commenting and resharing it.  

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According to reports the baby turtle was operated and examined by Emily Mirowski, a sea turtle rehabilitation assistant at the center, before it died. Ms Mirowski reportedly said that after the turtle died, she had dissected it and found 104 pieces of plastic, ranging from bottle caps to balloons. She further explained that usually baby turtles consume plastic, that gets stuck in their belly making them think that they are full. As a result, they don't eat and don't receive the nutrition they need. 

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A heartbreaking encounter

She further added that it was really heartbreaking to encounter the incident but she is glad that people are finally seeing the image and creating awareness. The incident brings the ill effects of plastic and how it affects our environment and wildlife. According to Gumbo Limbo Nature Center, all of the turtles that died during the washback season had plastic in their intestinal tracts. Washback season is when baby turtles that have made it to the ocean are washed back to shore because of heavy winds 

The center also released a statement, "Unfortunately, not every washback survives. 100% of the washbacks that didn't make it had plastic in their intestinal tracts."

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(with inputs from agencies)